


Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod!

by YAmamoto



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-03-23 00:56:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 46,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13776279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YAmamoto/pseuds/YAmamoto
Summary: Thrown into a whole new killing game, Lambo wants nothing more than to be done with this nonsense. With a secret task haunting his mind, Lambo will have no other choice, but to play along. Will his secret be the cause of his death, or will Lambo's presence turn the game on its feet? First Arc! Remaining Students: 18!





	1. Prologue Part 1!

_I don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

Thoughts= _Italics_

* * *

 

**_The Ultimate Revival: Begin!_ **

_It's too dark in here. Crap... what happened to me? Why is it so dark? My eyes are open, but it's pitch black._

I took a step forward and smacked my head against something cold and hard. I lifted my arm to rub my forehead, but I hit the cold object again with my elbow. _Okay... I'm in a confined space._ I felt around the space and hypothesized that I was stuck in some kind of rectangular prism. I palmed the front of the prism. Almost as if the world was switched to slow-motion, the door open. I stumbled out the locker, barely managing to keep myself from face-planting. Firmly standing, I looked around the area.

I was trapped in a beige painted classroom. There was a greened tinted podium placed to the right of the locker I came out of. It was standing a foot in front of the bright green screen. The classroom was divided into two sides with the podium acting as a guideline. Two columns of desks and chairs were on each side. The windows were barricaded by some kind of red rope. To the touch, I noted that it was a brand of leather. _And an expensive brand as well..._ I also made a side note about the sheer number of vines growing around the ceiling. _It's almost like this place was abandoned. An abandoned school perhaps?_

"So what's next?" I muttered to myself. The last thing I could recall was a group of men in black ambushing me on my way to my high school. They were smart enough to wear ski masks when they pushed me into the black van. But, why didn't any help me? It's wasn't like I was an idiot and walked into a dark alley. No, this was in broad daylight. Either everyone in the area was an accomplice, or-

"WAAAH!" A feminist scream screeched out the locker next to me. _So, I'm not alone, huh._ The locker started violently shaking while she probably started to panic. Sighing, I opened the door for her. Before I could react, her fist connected to the bridge of my nose.

"Shit woman!" I backed away before she could do any more damage. I pinched my nose to stop the potential blood loss. I took a good look at the girl as I glared at her.

She was a black haired Chinese beauty with two circular braids tied behind her head. She was wearing a standard Namimori High School uniform, a long white dress shirt covered by a blue vest with a black knee-high skirt and red bowtie. _So, we go to the same school? Why haven't I ever seen her before, then?_ She was about my height or maybe a few inches shorter than me.

"I'm sorry!" She pleaded as wiped away a tear. "Are you hurt?"

"Yes," I gave her pointed look. "Who are you?"

"Oh, um, I'm I-pin Fon." I-pin bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"Lambo Bovino." I ran my hand through my black hair. "Now, that's introductions are out of the way. Mind telling me how you ended up in this place and in a locker no less?"

"I-I was kidnapped. I was coming back from school. Before I get to my house, I-I was attacked by a group of men and pushed into a van." She whimpered. "The ne-next thing I remember was waking up in that locker. I-I swear I don't know anything else."

"Straighten up, will you? I'm not gonna hurt ya." I decided to comfort her. _I can't get anywhere with this girl scared shitless anyway._ "Let's think for a second. Why would someone feel the need to kidnap two high schoolers?"

"I don't know. I'm pretty normal, and the only thing special about me is how weirdly I style my hair." She sighed rather depressingly. "What about you? You're wearing the same uniform as me, so doesn't that mean we go to the same school?"

"Yes, we both go to Namimori High, but that place is nothing more than a normal school." I figured. The more I thought about it the less sense the situation made. The fact that we're in school no less... _Why kidnap high schooler and put them in an abandoned high school. The more questions I think the less I feel like I know._ "Whatever is the case, we should get out of here."

"Ye-Yeah, let's see if we can find some help." She tried to summon the little courage she had. I grabbed her by the hand, so she wouldn't get lost and led her out the classroom.

Similar to a car's engine revving up, I was startled by the sudden sound. I turned around quickly and regretted my action immediately. It was a twelve-foot tall robot! It looked like came out a sci-fi movie. I didn't take in any more of its details as I took off with I-pin in hand. She screamed off her head and straight into my ear. _Ugh, at the first sense of freedom, I'm dropping her. That's a fact!_ The robot chased us down several vine-covered hallways until we were met a pink staircase leading down one flight of stairs.

The bottom floor had more of those giant robots crawling around. When we came down the stair, there was a robot with a pink paint blocking the hallway with their back to us. Slipping pass that one with I-pin's mouth clamped shut, I led her down a narrow hallway. Another robot was standing at the end of the hallway as it blocked another path. Thus, I forced down a different path. _Interesting... are we being forced this way? It's rather convenient that we haven't met a dead end yet. Or, are they forcing us to a dead end?_ Within the span of ten minutes, we were imposed upon this path to an orange door with plants growing everywhere and had five of those monasteries on our tail. I slammed my body into the door at full force.

I didn't expect them to lead us to an exit, not in the slightest.

But, I also didn't expect those robots to guide us to a group of even more high schoolers.

"What the hell is going on..." I whispered as I-pin and I walked up to the group. I took a mental note of the fact that all of them wore different school uniforms. Unlike I-pin and myself, no two people wore the same style of uniform. _So, they didn't just target our high school, yet why strike twice at Namimori?_ Everyone seemed to be standing rather close to one person or another. _Almost like we were paired off... If it was just I-pin and myself, then, I dismiss this as a coincidence, but there are nine pairs? No... that's deliberate._

"Ohhh... there's more people?" The tanned girl gasped.

"Were y'all chased by those monsters too?" Exclaimed the guy with a purple slanted haircut. I slowly nodded, unsure if there was a logical explanation for all of this.

"What... are they? What do they want from us?" I wasn't sure who was talking, but their voice was incredibly deep.

"Do you want me to check on what's happening?" The second shortest boy here volunteered.

"No! I refuse to allow anyone to leave. It's too dangerous out there!" The red-haired girl spoke up and voiced her opinion.

"Those things probably are still around if they just chased those two in." The blonde whimpered as a guy with a cap comforted her.

"Does anyone know what's happening ex-exactly?" I-pin whimpered as well. She refused to let go of my arm.

"And that makes 18..." A green haired male stated that fact. _So, I'm not the only one who was keeping track, huh._ "There are 18 high school students. What do you think means?"

"That someone wanted to kidnap us and force us into this gym. Think about... those robots were blocking other hallways." I deducted. "They didn't want to risk us wandering off."

"Ah, you have I keen eye." The green headed boy smirked. "What's your name? I'm Rantaro Amami."

"Lambo Bovino, I try to pay attention to my surroundings," I answered.

"But not enough to keep yourself from getting kidnapped?" Rantaro chuckled to himself.

"Okay... so there's eighteen of us? Are there more people coming or something?" The purple hair man spoke up again.

"No... I think this is everyone... If this is what I think it is." Rantaro paused to think some more. _Does he have an idea of what's going on? Then, why is he beating around the bush?_

"If this is what you think it is?" The twin ponytail girl questioned. "What do you mean by that?"

It was at that exact moment. An unknown voice echoed throughout the gym. I didn't see anyone's mouth open, so there must be another person in the room.

"Okayyyyyyyyyy! It's time to start. Shimmy down! Shimmy down!" A childish and boyish voice rang.

"I think you meant 'shimmer down'." A feminine voice corrected the voice.

"Huh? Who said that?" The blue-haired beauty started to turn pale.

Springing out of floors and walls, five giant robots made their appearance known. I couldn't seem to believe it. _Did they bring us here for the false sense of security?_ Whatever was the case, the eighteen of us formed a close circle as the five robots descended upon us until we were completely surrounded.

"Thanks for _bear_ ing with us." The five robots exclaimed. _Why put emphasis on the bear?_

"Crap! Those robots got in!" Another double braided girl spoke up, but her braids were very loosely kept together compared to I-pin.

"They're not monsters! Their proper collective names are 'Exisals'. The yellow 'Exisal' corrected us. "If you must know, they're highly mobile, bipedal weapons."

_Then, does that mean someone is controlling them if they're just weapons?_

"We-Weapons?!" Cap boy exclaimed.

"Hell yea! How 'bout we take these babies for a test run and kill one of these motherfuckers!" The blue 'Exisal' screamed.

"Nyeh? Can't we talk about this?!" The short red haired girl cowered in fear.

"No, no, no, that won't do. We have to follow the schedule." The pink one scolded the rest in a feminine voice. _That must be the voice we heard earlier._

"But, according to the schedule, the Exisal weren't supposed to show up until later." The red 'Exisal' pointed out. _What schedule are they talking about? Are we suppose to go along with this plan?_ "Man, we messed up big time!"

"I told ya we shoulda read the damn script!" The blue one incriminated all of them. I sweatdropped. _They don't sound like the most competent villains around. The more they talk, the less I feel threatened._

"It's not that big of a mess. Let's get out the Exisals and go from there." The yellow one suggested. The three other ones just muttered in agreement. The green one still hasn't said a word.

The five 'Exisals' hatches popped open and five multicolor and monochrome animatronic bears jumped out. Each one coordinated with their respected weapon. Taking a page of the power rangers script, the five bears struck their own 'unique' pose as they stuck the landing.

"Rise and shine ursine! With our powers combined, we are the MonoKubs!" The small group of bears dabbed at the end of their clearly practiced speech. The eighteen of us were stunned into silence. _Was this really happening? Are we serious being targeted by teddy bears?_

"The fuck..." I whispered to myself.

"Wh-What are those things?" I-pin tightened her grip on my arm. Her nails began to stick into my flesh.

"I'm the messenger from the depths of hell, here to drag ya to hell!" The blue monochrome rockstar teddy bear exclaimed.

"Eh? What's hell?" The red monochrome bear questioned.

"MonoKubs huh? So, we're being terrorized by a bunch of stuff animals?" I thought for a second.

"That would be the case," Rantaro said, unfazed by the events unfolding in front of us. "It's exactly what I thought it was, but who's behind all of this. Why be so outrageously ridiculous?"

"How could have you possibly predicted this?" I asked. "This is too bizarre for any sane person to predict."

"Then, I guess that makes me insane." Rantaro shrugged.

"Shut your bitch asses up! Your reactions are too normal! It's putting me the hell to sleep." The blue one complained.

"I still don't what hell is." The red one spoke up again.

"Now that I think about, their clothes are boring too." The pink and girly bear said sweetly. "I think we should do something about it."

With two claps, eighteen white examination make-shift rooms dropped from the ceiling. Each one had a different name sown in at the top. My room was placed near the center with Rantaro and Kokichi Oma as my neighbors.

"Now, now, please enter your changing room and put on the attire laid out for you." The yellow and white bear cleaned his glasses. _They're all walking stereotypes._ Some of the students opened the mouth to argue, but the pink one got the first sentence out.

"If you don't comply, we'll kill the rebels with Exisal." She smiled as the eighteen of us shifted into our respected changing room.

I examined the clothes left for me, and I was honestly taken aback by them. I was expecting more or less a prisoner jumpsuit. Instead, they left me a black jacket with a cowhide pattern collar and cuffs that only had one button in the center, thus, exposing my chest to the world, a pair of beige pants, and a pair of open toe sandals. _This is civilian clothing. Why? Are we not their prisoners?_

Going along with these insane bear, I stripped down to my briefs and changed into their clothes. Underneath that set of clothes, I found two bandaged horns, a necklace with a bull pendant, and a ring with a green gem in the middle. It wasn't the weirdest thing that has happened to me, so I placed the ring on my finger and the pendant around my neck. I left the horns in my hands as I exited.

I saw Rantaro standing near one of the basketball hoops. Once again, his clothes were far from what a prisoner would wear. He was wearing a dark blue long sleeve shirt with a steering wheel symbol in the left corner and gray pants that were tied at his ankles. He wore slip-on shoes. The MonoKubs gave him more accessories than me because he had about seven or eight rings on his fingers and a crystal pendant around his neck.

"Well, look at Lambo, you like a player." Rantaro chuckled.

"I'm not the only one. You could pass one as well." I gave him a pointed look before sighing.

"Nah, I could never be one. Besides, I think you need your missing your final steps." He took the horns from my hands and stuck them in my curly hair. "There! Now, you're dressed."

"This makes no sense, and you're aware of it." I looked around the gym. The others were slowly coming out of their changing rooms. Some had more weird clothes than others. "So, why stay quiet?"

"Because we won't remember any of it by the end of the day," He whispered as the two of gathered with the rest of our group. The MonoKubs readied some kind of flashlight with multiple screws and bolts sticking out of it.

"Monosuke figured out why you guys were so boring!" The red ninja monokub announced. "Y'all aren't Ultimates! You're all just talentless nobodies!"

"Therefore, we gotta make ya into Ultimates!" Monosuke put the finishing touches on the flashlight and pointed the lens in our direction. The bright light blinded us as I felt information flow into my brain. I felt my conscious fleeting as something inside of me awaken.

That's right. I remember who I am!

_Lambo Bovino... The Ultimate Lightning Rod!_

_Date of Birth: May 28 (Gemini)_

_Height: 5'10"_

_Weight: 141 lbs_

_Chest: 32’_

_Blood Type: A_

_Likes: Candy_

_Dislikes: Chores_

_Lambo Bovino is the youngest among the tenth generation of the Vongola family. I abandoned the Bovino family at the age 5 as I chased down Reborn, my destined rival. Along with my quest to kill Reborn, I, the Great Lambo, found Tsuna, my old brother who I admire the most. Although I came off as a bother to him, I wished to grow up as fast as possible to be with him as soon as possible. Reborn wants him to be the tenth boss, but he doesn't come off as one. He's like a caring bother to me unlike Gokudera Hayato, the Storm Guardian, who is also known as Stupidera. He's the most annoying person to be around because he constantly shifts blame to me. I-pin is a sister to me; we've been childhood friends ever since we met at Tsuna's home. Although you tormented her at a young age, you have learned to love and care for her in more ways than one. Occasionally, I refer to her as 'Charming', because I-pin has grown from a 'Tail-Head' monster into a promising young lady and assassin. I-pin is extremely intelligent and skilled for some her age, while I am come off as lazy and spoil. Even though we are completely different, I, Lambo Bovino, have come to love I-pin like a sister._

_I became the Vongola Lightning Guardian at the age of five. At a young age, Lambo has been capable of withstanding enough lightning to power a town. At age 15, Lambo's power has grown and allowed him to hold enough electricity to power Tokyo for a week. However, Lambo is only capable of powering his ring if he's angry, sad, or homesick. Wanting the best for Lambo, Big Bro Tsuna made Lambo learn Italian at an early age. When annoyed, Lambo will switch in between languages. Lambo fears Hibari and Mukuro with a passion, and he dares not to cross either on them for any reason. Hibari, Mukuro, and Tsuna are the only ones excluded from Lambo's pranking. The only person who Lambo befriended outside of his Family is the Simon's Mountain Guardian, Rauji Ooyama. He's was the best subordinate Lambo has ever had. Rauji listened to ever command Lambo gave and followed through with each one._

_That's who I am! I am Lambo Bovino after all!_

  



	2. Prologue Part 2!

_I don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

Thoughts= _Italics_

* * *

 

**_Ultimate Revival: Reset!_ **

I took my first step out the open locker and immediately faceplanted. I whispered to myself to keep the tears back. I pinched the bridge of my nose, but I smelt dried blood. _What the hell? I don't remember getting a nose bleed earlier. Actually, I don't even remember anything. How did I end up in a locker?_

"And my arm stings..." I whined softly as I looked around with my one open eye. Somehow, I was trapped in a poorly kept classroom. _Keep it together, Lambo. You're strong enough to get out of this situation, but fighting has always been a pain._ I groaned as I debated what I should do next. I stuck my hand in my pocket and felt my box weapon in my left pocket. _Whoever kidnapped me is clearly special in the head. I'm not even at a disadvantage._

"Oh no!" I turned from the door when I heard all too familiar feminine voice. _At least, I'm not alone._ There laid my childhood friend and sister, I-pin. She was wearing her usual red cheongsam-style shirt with white sleeves and long white trousers. I helped her up and dusted some of the dirt off her clothes. "Thank you, Lambo."

"It's nothing, Charming. Do you got any ideas on where we are?" I replied, slightly annoyed by the situation. _I'm alright with being kidnapped, but why would someone drag I-pin into this mess?_ "I'm drawing a blank."

"Apologizes, I'm just as clueless as you Lambo. I can't recall anything." She tried wrapping her head around the situation. "Do you think our five years old selves transported us here by accident?"

"Maybe, what would they even be doing in a place like this?" I grumbled. "Let's just wait out the leftover time."

"Rise and Shine, Ursine!" Five childish voice rang throughout the ruined classroom. The next thing we knew was that five different colored stuffed animals appeared at the door. 

There was a blue and white teddy bear with painted stars around its eyes and chest hair. _Eww, who the hell designed that crap?_ Another teddy bear was yellow and white with a pair of nerdy glasses. The teddy bear in the middle was monochrome red and white with a grayish scarf around his neck. To the immediate left, there was a pink and white bear that came off as a bit girlish with the flower pinned to her ear. To the far left, there stood a green and white robotic bear. _He sticks out like a sore thumb._

"Teddy bears...? Is Verde behind this or something?" I questioned if the Lightning Flame Acrobalaneo would go to the lengths to make these monstrosities. _If he's testing them out, then this is probably one of his test runs. Might as well destroy them._ Shrugging, I began to concentrate the little electricity I had stored. When my charge started to flicker around my body, the teddy bears screamed.

"Hey, hey! Whatcha doing punk?!" The blue shouted as he pulled out his guitar.

"Getting this test run over with, Verde could at least warn us before he kidnapped us." I groaned as I blasted a bolt of lightning at the red one. It back-jumped at the last second.

"Hey, watch you're pointing that thing! I don't know who Verde is. I wor-" The red teddy bear spoke before the yellow one interrupted him.

"Cool it Monotaro, stick to the script!" The yellow hushed him. "Anyways, do youse know who were are?"

"A small group of talking stuffed animal?" I-pin guessed. After she said that, the bears started looking at each other.

"Yay! It worked!" The pinked exclaimed happily.

"Phew! I was worried this wasn't going to work!" Monotaro sighed in relief.

"Worried about what? What's going on?" I-pin asked another question.

"Hold your horses, we're gonna solve one problem at a time." The yellow bear wiped his glasses clean. "First thing on the list was introductions."

"Gotcha Monosuke," The pink one nodded in the yellow's direction. "I'm Monophanie. I enjoy long walks on the beach and flowers."

"Monokid's here and ready to rock hard!" He struck a chord on his guitar.

"I meant them!" Monosuke screamed before sighing. "This is gonna be a long day."

"Um, where are we? Is it a school, perhaps?" I-pin kept her usual level head in this situation.

"Well, this is the Ultimate Academy of Gifted Juveniles!" Monotaro explained.

"Ultimate Academy of Gifted Juveniles?" I stopped the flow of electricity around me for a second.

"I've never heard of a place called that..." My Chinese sister pondered on the subject.

"Of course, you never heard of it. This place was specially made for you eighteen hellspawns." Monophanie giggled.

"There are sixteen more students around here?"

"Yep, there's eighteen Ultimates in this school right now!" Monosuke explained. He continued to explain when he was the confused look on our faces. "Youse know... Ultimates. They're the best of the best and scouted through the Ultimate Initiative process."

"In other words, an Ultimate is someone who excels in a certain talent." Monotaro went even further to explain what we already knew.

"We know that. I already know all of that." I rolled my eye. "We were confused about why there were eighteen students here too."

"Yes," I-pin nodded. "I already know that. I'm an Ultimate."

"Hell yeah! Now, you're getting it!" Monokid screamed.

"Excellent, now you probably will need these," Monosuke handed us each an iPhone with black and white protective case. "Turn them on to make sure they belong to you. We don't need any screw ups this early on."

Doing as we're instructed, I held the power button. I watched as the words appeared on the screen.

_Welcome, Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod..._

_Map_

_Truth Bullets_

_Presents_

_Report Cards_

_School Rules_

"Yeah, it has my name and title on it," I admitted. I-pin nodded along.

"Good, that's your own personal Monophone. It got all the essentials for you two." Monosuke added on to the topic. "It should help youse twerps meet up with the rest of the Ultimates. I advise you to take my advice and meet them because there's a special activity planned for later."

"Wha-" I tried to push the subject, but they ducked out the room. _Well, they're gone, so there's no point in pushing the matter._ I allowed the electricity to return to its normal state. I tried walking out the classroom, but I-pin held me back by the arm. "What's wrong?"

"Lambo, I don't think you should show your powers until we have a better understanding of the situation." She suggested. "We might be Ultimates, but we shouldn't allow anyone outside of the mafia know about your flame or position in the mafia."

"I get what you're saying, but my talent is connected to my powers. Lambo is the Ultimate Lightning Rod, ya know." I folded my arms but, in the back of my head, Lambo knew Charming was right. I-pin was always right about these kinds of things. _I won't hear the end of from Stupidera and Reborn if I left a civilian see my flame or box. Big bro probably will be upset with me too._

"That's fine and all, but no one needs to know about our connection to the mafia. We have to think strategically, as in don't show your whole hand at once." I-pin sighed. "If it boils down to it, I'll fight and protect you."

"Fine, whatever," I stuffed my phone back in my pocket along with my hands. "I'm backing you up though. Lambo can't allow Charming to get hurt."

"Come on Lambo," She still had that optimistic smile of her even though all these years. "I can handle myself. I'm the Ultimate Martial Artist after all."

_Friendship Fragment obtained!_

_I-pin Fon, the Ultimate Martial Artist!_

_Date of Birth: November 25 (Sagittarius)_

_Height: 5'1"_

_Weight: 107 lbs_

_Chest Size: 30"_

_Blood type: O_

_Likes: Well-cooked Ramen_

_Dislikes: Soggy Noodles_

I followed I-pin out of the classroom while she gave the map a closer look. With her doing all the hard work, I kicked into cruising mode and took in the scenery. Plants were growing in between the floor tiles. Vines were crawling up the walls while the paint was chipped in places. There were a blonde girl and guy with a cap stood in front of a door with music notes carved on it. _Wait... am I gonna have to introduce myself sixteen times in a row?_ I glanced at the duo again. _Nah, too much work._ I walked passed them as I-pin stopped behind them. Using her quick reflex, she grabbed me by the ear and pulled me next to her being. Yelping, I caught those two's attention.

The girl with the shoulder-long blond hair wore a light pink vest with some school's insignia in the upper right corner over a long-sleeve white shirt. Her skirt was about knee high and had music notes printed on to it. Blondie was properly wearing a white backpack.

The guy had on a basic black hat, a black school uniform with a five button lined up on the left side of his shirt and two more buttons to the right a bit and a pair of black dress pants that were clearly ironed. Most of his black hair was covered by his hair.

"Hey, I guess we're not the only ones paired together." Blondie's smile was radiating cheer and goodwill. "I'm Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist."

_Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist_

_Date of Birth: March 26th (Aries)_

_Height:5'8"_

_Weight: 117 lbs_

_Chest Size: 35"_

_Blood Type: O_

_Likes: Piano keys_

_Dislikes: Bicycles_

"It's nice to meet you, Kaede." I-pin shook the girl's hand and pinched my ear even harder. "I'm I-pin, the Ultimate Martial Artist."

"Wow, you must have a great figure then!" Kaede's warm purple eyes dazzle as she practically sexually harassed I-pin. "Don't you agree with me, Shuichi?"

"Um... Kaede, is that really appropriate?" Cap boy sweatdropped as he looked at the two of us. "I don't think he appreciates how you're addressing I-pin."

"Huh?" She finally realized how disgusted my face became. "So much for a good impression, huh."

"Oh don't mind Lambo," I-pin tried to appease the situation, but I was not about to soften up. _This is not the time to be flirting with Charming. "_ Lambo is really protective when it comes to me."

"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you, Lambo." Kaede smiled as she held out her hand. A bored expression swept over my face as the seconds passed. I was not about to shake her hand. Twisting my ear a little, I-pin forced me to yield.

"Ow!" I pulled away from her grasp and rubbed my aching ear. I-pin quickly narrowed her eyes in my directions as a final warning. Kaede didn't seem to notice the glance, but Shuichi was well aware of the tension. Giving in, I shook the girl's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Kada."

"Er...my name is Kaede." She sweatdropped but quickly got over it. "Anyways, what's your talent, Lambo? Lemme guess. The Ultimate Player?"

Her wink disgusted me. _She flirts too much._

"Kaede... I doubt that's a real talent." Shuichi sweatdropped at her antics. "How about we let him tell us what it is?"

"Alright!" The pianist brushed off her accusation pretty easily as all their attention was focused on me.

"I'm the Ultimate Lightning Rod." I wiped the blood from my ear. Kaede and Shuichi were stunned for a moment until Shuichi recovered.

"How did you become the Ultimate Lightning Rod if you don't me asking?"

"As a child, I struck by electricity all the time. Eventually, I learned how to conduct and control it if I can have enough of electricity." I sighed. _That's not even mentioning all the times Verde purposely struck me with lightning. Just because I can conduct electricity don't mean it doesn't hurt like a bitch._

"Who leaves a child around electricity?" Kaede absentmindedly said.

"That's none of your business," I answered in a serious tone.

"That is no way to speak to a fair lady!" A new voice sprung up from the corner. More than the word 'reluctant' could describe me in this moment, I turned to see who exactly decided to appear.

A girl with double ponytails tied by white ribbons appeared. She had a four-pointed pinwheel in her hair and a purple headband. Other than that mess in her hair, her uniform was a pretty standard blue sailor uniform. For some reason, she was wearing socks and straw sandals. Her warm green colored eyes burned with hatred as she glares in my direction. She swiftly approached the four of us.

"Ugh, there's more people." I audibly groaned and rolled my eyes in her face. "What do you want?"

"Lambo, please be respectful." I-pin pleaded. _I guess she has a point or something. It won't hurt-_

"Degenerate males should listen to those wise words, or else I will punish them with my Neo-Aikido!" The new girl screamed as she took her fighting stance.

"Put your fist down, there's no need to try to fight Lambo." I stuffed my hands into my pocket. I could feel the intent to harm radiating from her body, but I did not care enough to take her seriously.

"I cannot stand down when degenerate acts out." She declared. _But, I didn't act out. Whatever..._ I shrugged nonchalantly. "HAAAIAAAAAAHH!"

Like a bullet, she swung her arm horizontally in my direction. I glided backward, barely getting out of her reach. _I had promised I-pin that I wouldn't bring up anything related to the mafia, I guess that included my training._ This girl dashed towards me with another attack ready. Her arm swung downward in an attempt to grab me by the arm, but I sidestepped once again. I felt something else take a hold of my sleeve. A hard grip... _crap!_ My body was lifted from the ground and into the air. I flinched as my body dropped and waited for the impact.

Nothing... no pain.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw myself in the arms of Charming. The strange girl was holding her stomach with this dazed expression.

"Wh-What?" She gasped. "My Neo-Aikido failed me?"

"You're too stiff. Aikido is supposed to be more fluent like water." I-pin criticized her as I crawled out of her arm. Shuichi and I sweatdropped. _Yes I-pin, this is the time to be giving her pointers._

"What is your name? I must know who my new training partner is." _This can't be happening. I-pin better rejects her._

"I-pin Fon, the Ultimate Martial Artist, and what's your name?" I-pin smiled.

"Oh, yes! I am Tenko Chabashira! The Ultimate Aikido Master!" She declared proudly. "Wait, is Fon your master by any chance?"

_Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Aikido Master_

_Date of Birth: January 9th (Capricorn)_

_Height: 5'5"_

_Weight: 115 lbs_

_Chest Size: 35"_

_Blood Type: B_

_Likes: Nunchucks_

_Dislikes: Men_

And, that was the moment where the conversation was reduced to fighting nonsense. _I-pin's going to be a while._ I glanced over at Shuichi and Kaede. The pianist seemed eager to join their conversation while Shuichi seemed more hesitant than anything else. _Can't really blame him. Tenko is crazy._

"Charming, I'm going to check out the rest of school. Stay on your guard." I waved goodbye.

"Er Lambo, you shouldn't go alone. We don't know what might happen." I-pin said worriedly. She about to walk away until Kaede spoke up.

"Shuichi can go with him." She suggested/volunteered him. Tenko nodded her head vigorously in approvable. _Anything to get rid of the guys huh?_ "Won't you, Shuichi?"

"... What do you say, Lambo?" He passed the decision onto me. "I guess I'm okay with it."

_Friendship Fragment obtained! (Kaede)_

_Friendship Fragment obtained! (Tenko)_

"Whatever, let's get going," I answered as we left the girls alone. _I wasn't worried too much about I-pin. Charming was one of the best martial artist and assassins around. I doubt anyone could harm her._ "Nyeh, what's your talent?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm the Ultimate Detective, but I don't really think I should be..." Shuichi rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm gonna regret this, but why? Why do you say that?" I tried to put on an interesting face. _If he's actually the Ultimate Detective, I might actually need to pay attention to what I say. Aw man..._

"I stumbled across some evidence in one of my uncle's cases and found a killer. The public news called me one of those detective princes and eventually the Ultimate Detective..." He sighed. "Besides, I... don't have the credential to be a detective."

"I wouldn't worry about," _I never thought I meet someone depressing as Big Bro Tsuna. Did everyone have to deal with Tsuna when he was like that? I love Tsuna of course, but Shuichi's ruining my mood._ "Not everyone has the credential to be what they're supposed to do in life. If you can solve a case, then I would call you a detective."

"Er... thank you." He said, slightly flustered as we entered another classroom.

_Friendship Fragment obtained!_

_Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective_

_Date of Birth: September 7th (Virgo)_

_Height: 5'7"_

_Weight: 128 lbs_

_Chest Size: 32'_

_Blood Type: AB_

_Likes: Novel_

_Dislikes: Gossip_

 


	3. Prologue Part 3!

_I don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts= Italics_

* * *

 

 _Last time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod_...

_"Whatever, let's get going," I answered as we left the girls alone. I wasn't worried too much about I-pin. Charming was one of the best martial artist and assassins around. I doubt anyone could harm her. "Nyeh, what's your talent?"_

_"Huh? Oh, I'm the Ultimate Detective, but I don't really think I should be..." Shuichi rubbed the back of his neck._

_"I'm gonna regret this, but why? Why do you say that?" I tried to put on an interesting face. If he's actually the Ultimate Detective, I might actually need to pay attention to what I say. Aw man..._

_"I stumbled across some evidence in one of my uncle's cases and found a killer. The public news called me one of those detective princes and eventually the Ultimate Detective..." He sighed. "Besides, I... don't have the credential to be a detective."_

_"I wouldn't worry about," I never thought I meet someone depressing as Big Bro Tsuna. Did everyone have to deal with Tsuna when he was like that? I love Tsuna of course, but Shuichi's ruining my mood. "Not everyone has the credential to be what they're supposed to do in life. If you can solve a case, then I would call you a detective."_

_"Er... thank you." He said, slightly flustered as we entered another classroom._

_This time with Lambo Bovino..._

"C'moooooon," A childish voice declared as Shuichi and I entered the room. There, I saw a robot being chased by a young boy in white.

"Don't come any closer! Please stop!" The robot declared, but the dark purple eyed boy didn't listen.

His blackish purple hair was sorta wavy as strands stuck out to the sides. The very pale boy wore a white suit with multiple straps wrapped around his arms, and two straps hanging loosely around his legs. His shirt was ripped at the hem and the collar part of it is completely gone, and big parts of the uniform are fixed with metal clips. As a final touch, his scarf was had a checkboard pattern printed on it.

The robot was what a robot should look like. Minus the white hair, baby blue light eyes, the ahoge, and pale complexion, it was a built like any of Verde's other machines. It's had a very advanced looking black bodysuit.

"Hey, it's not every day you get to become friends with a robot." The young boy's eyes sparkled with happiness as he cornered the machine.

"So, it is a robot." He ruined the moment with his question and drew attention to us.

"... What? Are you another robophobe?" The robot's ahoge turned into a slight question mark. _What the fuck...?_

"...What?" Shuichi sweatdropped as we stared at the now infuriated machine. _I would never have thought Verde would give a machine expressions._

"I have you know that I have a recording function! If I hear any robophobic remarks, I will see you in court!"

"Nyeh, what do you even run on?" I asked as fixed the cuffs of my sleeves.

"Electricity, why do you ask?" He warily answered.

"If you run on electricity, then what you said is probably true." The detective paused, probably to think about his words. _It would be a pain to go to court for something this stupid._ "Does that mean you're related to the Monokubs?"

"Do not compare me to toy! I am far from a mere robot!" It declared with a robotic fury. "I am K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot! However, I have learned that a nickname can make humans feel more comfortable around each other, so please call me Keebo!"

_K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot!_

_Date of Birth: October 29 (Scorpio)_

_Height: 5'3"_

_Weight: 196 lbs_

_Chest Size: 35"_

_Likes: 100-240 Volts_

_Dislikes: Vending Machine_

"If you're the Ultimate Robot, does that mean you can shoot lasers from your eyes?" I questioned with my arms folded.

"OOOO! Do you have a jetpack on your back?!" The young boy exclaimed in excitement.

"No, I lack those functions!" He proudly declared with a smile printed on his face. "I was built to mimic human life."

"Ugh, then what's the point of that?" The pale boy whined as he sounded disinterested. _Who could blame him? That's pointless as hell. Verde can't be his creator. He might be a mad scientist, but he always has a purpose behind every contraption._ "That's boring. Geez."

"Hey, th-"

"I know what will make this interesting! I'll introduce myself!" Kokichi cut the robot off before it could declare something. "The name's Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!"

_Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!_

_Date of Birth: June 21 (Gemini)_

_Height: 5'1"_

_Weight: 97 lbs_

_Chest Size: 28"_

_Blood Type: A_

_Likes: Carbonated Drinks_

_Dislikes: Pigfeet_

"Supreme Leader?" I cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Pretty cool, huh?" He laced his fingered behind his head. "Better than a basic robot, riiight?"

"Hey, I take offense to your comment!" K1-B0 shouted with a mechanical glare.

"Pretty sure he was joking." I rolled my eyes. Shuichi shook his head in disbelief but said nothing more.

"...He is not funny."

"I don't think a robot could have a sense of humor," I said flatly.

"I will have you know that I studied every book on stand-up comedy!" _Who knew a robot could get angry? Verde might actually be his creator if I think about it. Verde might have taken an interest in human emotion and the secret behind that crud. Who knows? I'll probably ask it later._

"I think that something you should watch and not study..." Shuichi voiced his thoughts. That was the tipping point for the robot. He stomped towards the door.

"I will see you three in court!"

"Wait! Kiiboy, I have one last question! Hear me out, pretty please!" Kokichi played a better puppy-dog expression than I could ever do.

"What?!"

"Do you have a robo-dick?" He asked with a sparkle in his eyes.

"What? No!"

"Oh no, you're a girl robot?" I bit the bottom of my lip to hold back my laugh. _Oh, I like the way Kokichi thinks._ "If you don't have a dick, then, you must be a girl. That's basic science."

"Ugh!" Keebo slammed the door as he exited the classroom. _Oh, that's priceless. We actually made a robot rage quit. This almost makes being kidnapped worth it._

_Friendship Fragment obtained! (K1-B0)_

"I think you two took it too far." Shuichi stared at the door.

"Nah, I wouldn't say that." I shrugged. _I would blame the creator for not giving it a high level of tolerance._ "Hey Kokichi, wanna join us? We're going around and introducing ourselves."

"Are you sure you want someone named 'Ultimate Supreme Leader' to tag along?" Kokichi asked with a mischevious smirk on his face.

"Speaking of that," The Ultimate Detective held his hand towards his face. "I don't understand how someone could have a title like that."

"Simple. I run my own super evil organization with an overwhelming 10,000 members." Kokichi boasted.

"That's kind of hard to believe," I said with a straight face. _That's about a fraction of how many henchmen Tsuna. Is it poss-_

"Then again, I am a liar, so who knows. Your guess is good as anyone else." He smirked as the young boy exited the class. "Well, I'll see ya later. I'm gonna go see what Kiiboy's up to."

_Friendship Fragment obtained! (Kokichi)_

"He's a troublemaker; that's for sure." Shuichi dryly stated. "But, could he really have 10,000 members in his organization?"

"Who cares? If he does, then we'll get recused in no time. If he doesn't, it's no skin off my bone." I answered halfheartedly as we exited the classroom. Either we could go downstairs, or we head for the dragon statue. _It would be a pain to miss someone if they were hiding up here. Then, we gotta come back up here and find them. UGH! Oh yeah, where's I-pin?_

The girls disappeared from outside of the music room. _I guess they went to find more girls to join them or something. Could I get a squad of boys on my side? Nah, that's too much work._ Turning the corner, Shuichi and I found two girls near a dragon statue. We were about to approach them, but the taller and shimmer one of the two picked up the short redhead. _One of them actually looks familiar. Did Big Bro Tsuna hire her for a while? Yeah, that gotta be Ms. Tojo. What the hell is she doing here?_ Mildly perplex, Shuichi spoke up.

"Er...what are you doing?"

"Lady Himiko, wished for me to carry her around as we introduce ourselves to the others." The woman with extremely light green hair had a refined aura around her as she placed the girl on her back. Her bangs covered most of her left eye. Her right eye was green, so I assumed the left was the same. _Unless she's like Mukuro._ I shuddered as pushed the thought that monster into the back of my mind. _Not today Pineapple Satan!_ She wore a maid outfit that consisted of a black button up pinafore with a spiderweb motif, a white dress with a black collar, and a purple tie. Like every maid in Japan, she wore a black headband, black gloves with silver rings, black tights, and black dress heels.

"And you listened to her?" I scoffed. _Nyeh, I gotta play dumb. As if I don't know why the hell Ms. Tojo is carrying her._ "You're not her mother."

"But walking is a pain." The small redhead answered. Her hair reached around her chin. The girl's witch hat with a red ribbon on it was barely staying on her head. She was wearing a black blazer with some gray accents, with a grey blouse underneath it. As two last pieces, she wore a red puffy skirt and a pair of medieval boots.

"I do not mind. I willing to complete any reasonable request given to me." The woman answered in a serious tone. "This is a simple task."

"Then, will you carry me too?" I cocked my eyebrow.

"My apologies, but I can only carry person at a time." She sincerely answered.

"A person willing to complete any task given to them..." Shuichi pondered on the phrase for a moment. "Your name wouldn't be Kirumi Tojo... would it?"

"That is correct. I am Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid." She nodded once in confirmation. "Please inform me if you ever have a request in the future."

_Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid!_

_Date of Birth: May 10th (Taurus)_

_Height: 5'9"_

_Weight: 115 lbs_

_Chest Size: 33"_

_Blood Type: B_

_Likes: Cleaning_

_Dislikes: Taking Days Off_

"Shuichi, I didn't know you knew Kirumi." I pushed the focus onto him. _Ugh, now I gotta act like I don't know this woman. I-pin doesn't want me to mention our connection to the mafia, so I guess that includes Ms. Tojo working for us in the past._

"Who hasn't? She's an Ultimate with astronomical intelligence and strength, who works as a maid." Shuichi went into detail about how great of a maid Ms. Tojo was. "It's rumored that her work is so perfect, she can complete any request given."

"Please do not exaggerate... I am only human. Therefore, I must have limits. I only complete requests that I am certain I can complete." She frowned slightly with her eyes closed. "I was once requested to bring down a rival country on my own, but I declined since it was outside of my limits."

"But to requested to something like that is impressive on it own." I sweatdropped. "What country was it?"

"I apologize, but that is confidential as all my former employer's information is." She swiftly answered as if she was accustomed to people asking those kinds of questions. _So, that at least means she has been going around telling anyone about the Vongola family. That's good. I won't have to kill her._ "What do you two intend to do now?"

"That's a good question." The Ultimate Detective sighed. "We've only encountered nine people if I count myself."

"What do you say M- Kirumi, do you want to join us and meet the others?" I asked before realizing what kind of maid Ms. Tojo was.

"I want nothing personal. My only desire is to fulfill the desires of others."

"Nyeh... can we go?" The redhead said in the most lackluster tone possible.

"You haven't introduced yourself yet." Shuichi sweatdropped.

"Nyeh, that's right. Prepare to be amazed by my magical introduction." _It's official. This girl lacks all emotions or enthusiasm._ "I am Himiko Yumeno, the Ultimate Mage."

_Himiko Yumeno, the Ultimate Mage!_

_Date of Birth: December 3 (Sagittarius)_

_Height: 4'11"_

_Weight: 86 lbs_

_Chest Size: 27"_

_Blood Type: O_

_Likes: Small Places_

_Dislikes: Ocean_

Nothing... Nothing happened. That was probably the blandest introduction yet. _I was at least expecting confetti to pop out with a talent like that._

"The Ultimate Mage, huh?" Shuichi's words dripped with sarcasm. Whether Himiko picked up on it was a whole another thing.

"But... I'm officially called the Ultimate Magician." She corrected herself with a sigh.

"That would make sense. Magic isn't real." I shot out. Himiko gave me a dirty look before asking Ms. Tojo if they could leave. Giving a quick bow, Ms. Tojo made her exit.

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Kirumi)!_

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Himiko)!_

"Wow Lambo, you are really bad with women." Shuichi sweatdropped. "First Tenko and now Himiko."

"What? Magic isn't real." _Had Himiko said that she was the Ultimate Illusionist, then I would believe her, but magic isn't the same thing as illusions._

"Says the walking lightning rod..." Shuichi clapped back with a face of disbelief.

"Whatever, let's go downstairs. I doubt there's anyone left on this floor." I rolled my eyes as I lead the way to next floor.

"Well, the maps says these stairs take us to the basement," Shuichi noted. "There's only about four people down here."

"Is I-pin one of them?" I asked.

"I was talking about new people, Lambo." He specified. "Why are you so fixated on I-pin?"

"We were... childhood friends. We adopted into the same family as a young age... maybe when we were five." Lambo shrugged whilst we turned left of the stairs what Shuichi assumed was the library. "Charming has been into martial art ever since I met her."

_That's not even including all of the assassinations she has done over the years._

The library was extremely dusty. I'm talking about visible pieces of dust was floating in the air. The library shelves going against the left and back walls; two bookshelves were sticking out of the left wall. There were most books here than the shelves could ever support. Books were piled onto the top of shelves and in each corner of the library. The moveable ladder was pushed against the bookshelf. There were again two people paired together.

The brown-haired girl was leaning against a bookshelf as she tried her hardest to ignore the midget next to her. She had bangs, but the two strands on the end fell well past her chin. She has red eyes and long, dark brown hair that she keeps in pigtails held by two red scrunchies. She looks comfortable in her scarlet colored sailor shirt that had her black sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her black plaid skirt. Her thigh-high sock matched her shirt.

The midget wore a black hat with two points that had a print of two blue tennis rackets on it, a black leather jacket, and a black and dark blue striped jumpsuit underneath. He probably the creepiest one around since he didn't have pupils, so that's another thing to make fun of him about. Lastly, he had a pair of cuffs on his left leg and brown shoes.

"To think...a library of this magnitude would open to us." The midget said in a chilling deep tone. "The question now is why would our kidnappers go to such lengths to provide a library and a game room? I'm not going to lie. I thought it would be familiar to prison."

"Pr-Prison? Where did that come from?" Shuichi seemed shocked for a moment before putting on his usual thinking face.

"By the look on your face, it seems you might recognize me." The midget stared off at the ceiling as he was looking into a distant memory. "Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Pro...That man no longer exists. I am nothing more than an empty shell."

_Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Pro!_

_Date of Birth: July 1 (Cancer)_

_Height: 3'5"_

_Weight: 88 lbs_

_Chest Size: 24"_

_Blood Type: B_

_Likes: Russian Blues_

_Dislikes: Whitetip reef sharks_

_Geez, he's melodramatic. What's his deal?_ I turned to Shuichi for more information since Ryoma wanted to beat around the bush with his life story.

"Ryoma Hoshi? Th-That's where I recognized you. I saw you in the newspaper." Shuichi stumbled on his words. The word 'shock' was clearly splashed on his face.

"How old are you again? Who reads the newspaper anymore?" I scoffed.

"It wouldn't hurt to read every once in awhile. If you did, then, you would know why a kid you should stay away from a murderer like me." Ryoma said with a dark expression.

"He's the tennis prodigy that single-handedly took down a mafia family," Shuichi informed me.

"I'm sorry... what? What mafia family?!" I shouted in disbelief. "Merde, uomo! Che cosa l'inferno realizzato vuoi fare?!"

"Was that Italian?" Shuichi sweatdropped. "I didn't take you to be the bilingual type."

"My big bro uses to take me to Italy during his business trips. Besides, I am Italian." I quickly answered to keep Shuichi off my back. "I stick with this language because that's what people speak here."

_It would weird if I pressured Ryoma on the subject any further. Shuichi might start asking question seeing how I didn't bother getting to know Himiko or Keebo. I'll ask him about it the next chance I get. Tsuna must've known something about Ryoma, so why am I just hearing about it now._

"To confirm this kids story, I killed them with my former tennis skills and iron balls." He went on to specify that detail. "So what do you think of the shell of a man who used his talent to kill?"

"I would call you the Ultimate Assassin if anything." I rubbed the back of my neck. _I don't even this Yamamoto could something like that with a baseball, and he's a natural in the hitman field._

"It seems like you still have a way to go, kid." Ryoma sighed as he stuck his piece of candy back into his mouth and promptly ignoring us.

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Ryoma)!_

"So, that just leaves her." I turned to double ponytailed girl. She seemed to aggravate the situation. She glances at me before looking away. "Nyeh, are you there?"

"Yes." She quickly answered before looking in the opposite direction of us. _What? Does she want us to introduce ourselves or something?_

"Well, I'm Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod, and this Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective." I jabbed my fingers in his direction.

"In-progress, I still don't have my credentials," Shuichi added on and made me groan.

"No one has heard of an Ultimate in progress. You're either an Ultimate or not." Lambo explained once more before turning to the girl again. "So, what's your name?"

"Maki Harukawa... Ultimate Child-Caregiver." She hesitated with giving us her title. _What is she not proud of her title either? Geez, is she the female version of Shuichi? If she is, then this will be a pain to deal with._

_Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Child-Caretaker!_

_Date of Birth: February 2 (Aquarius)_

_Height: 5'4"_

_Weight: 97 lbs_

_Chest Size: 30"_

_Blood Type: A_

_Likes: Morning Lake Shores_

_Dislikes: Winter Lake Shores_

"Ultimate Child-Caretaker, huh?" Shuichi thought about her title for a moment. _Is he trying to recall where he heard of her? Shuichi seems to be very informed about these Ultimates._ "Does that mean you work well with kids?"

"Kids... just attract towards me without my consent." Maki twisted one of her long bangs between her fingers. "It's not like I'm friendly nor good at taking care of them. It was never by choice."

"What is that suppose to mean?" I cocked an eyebrow. _What?_ "Like, you were forced to take care of your siblings and their friends or something?"

"Nothing along those lines. I grew up in an orphanage; the bigger kids took care of the smaller children." Maki sighed as she played with one of her ponytails. "I got stuck with the title since the smaller kids kept coming back to me."

"That's a pretty boring backstory." I dramatically yawned.

"Do you want to die?" Maki's entire face darkened as she stared me down. I'm not going to lie, but I almost pissed myself from the stare alone. The intimidation radiating from her was a whole another story. _Sh-Shit, Maki is scarier than Hibari!_ My instincts took over, and I jumped behind one of the bookshelves for protection.

"Wh-Where did that come from?" I demanded.

"It's something I said to the kids that annoyed me too much." Maki puffed up her cheeks in frustration. "Over time, I perfected my stare and got some time to myself."

"Hmph...with that kind of glare, no one would cross you, kid," Ryoma smirked to himself. "A grown man would cower to that face."

I swore I heard Maki whisper 'Wouldn't be the first time.' _But, I'm about to misquote this girl. Anyone who is capable of beating Hibari in a glaring contest is a person I'm staying away from._

"Doesn't the saying go 'Hell hath no fury likes a woman's scorned'?" Shuichi nervously chuckled.

"...I'm leaving." Maki abruptly stated as she pushed passed Shuichi and Ryoma and headed for the exit in the far right corner. Sighing, Ryoma slowly flowed after the girl.

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Maki)!_

 


	4. Prologue Part 4!

_I don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts= Italics_

_Last time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod..._

_"Do you want to die?" Maki's entire face darkened as she stared me down. I'm not going to lie, but I almost pissed myself from the stare alone. The intimidation radiating from her was a whole another story. Sh-Shit, Maki is scarier than Hibari! I didn't even think that's humanly possible. My instincts took over, and I jumped behind one of the bookshelves for protection._

_"Wh-Where did that come from?" I demanded._

_"It's something I said to the kids that annoyed me too much." Maki puffed up her cheeks in frustration. "Over time, I perfected my stare and got some time to myself."_

_"Hmph...with that kind of glare, no one would cross you, kid," Ryoma smirked to himself. "A grown man would cower to that face."_

_I swore I heard Maki whisper 'Wouldn't be the first time.' But, I'm not about to misquote this girl. Anyone who is capable of beating Hibari in a glaring contest is a person I'm staying away from._

_"Doesn't the saying go 'Hell hath no fury likes a woman's scorned'?" Shuichi nervously chuckled._

_"...I'm leaving." Maki abruptly stated as she pushed passed Shuichi and Ryoma and headed for the exit in the far right corner. Sighing, Ryoma slowly followed after the girl._

This time with Lambo Bovino...

Not taking the risk of running directly into Maki, Shuichi and I left through the same door as Maki and Ryoma. Luckily, they weren't standing in front of the door, but we did find another sliding door facing us. I tried pushing the door to side, but it barely budged, an inch or two to be certain.  _Ugh, why is it stuck?_

"I guess we should find another way in," Shuichi suggested as he looked at his phone. "Interesting, there's Ultimate Research lab in the basement."

"What's an Ultimate Research Lab?" I asked as we turned the corner.

"The Monokubs said they were built in here, so we could polish our skills. But, they're still putting some together. The music room we met in front of was Kaede's lab actually." Shuichi informed me. "They said Kaede's room still needed some work, but this one might be ready."

I felt my heart skipped a beat when I saw the symbol on the door. Unlikes Kaede's Research Lab which had only music notes, this one had the Vongola symbol plastered in the dead center. I could've played it off if it was just that, but the Monokubs had to add green thunderbolts to the symbol.  _Ugh, why must the best struggle?_

"Lambo... Is this your Research Lab?" Shuichi asked as two people came down the stairs.

I think there's a pattern going on. The Monokubs paired up a boy and girl together once again. The dude was a tallish guy with light green hair and a small ahoge sticking out. He was wearing a dark blue sweater with a boat steering wheel and a setting sun printed in the corner and a pair of grey sweatpants. He wore more jewelry than me. The guy almost had a ring on each finger. Plus, he had a crystal necklace.

The girl beside him had strawberry blond hair and two ahoges.  _I'm sensing a pattern with these ahoges. She's the fourth person with one. Wait, no, it's three. Keebo doesn't count as a person._ Anyways, she wore a pair of brown goggles with yellow accents on her head. She wore a modified pink sailor school uniform and a matching skirt, her collar noticeably exposing her cleavage, lacking the cover on her chest. Blondie had a pair of fingerless gloves and black heeled boots.

"Oh looky here, two virgins standing outside a door." The girl boastfully laughed to herself. "Why the hell do you got horns on your head? Are you gonna shove one of them up your ass later on or something?"

"...What?"  _That didn't even make sense._  "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I think that would hurt more than anything else." Shuichi tried to apply some logic to the conversation as he stared at the girl, but this girl destroyed that concept with when she opened her mouth.

"Hey limp dick, are you staring at my tits?"

"What?!" Shuichi flustered.  _Dear God, this conversation so perverted._

"I guess you're not limp anymore. Hahaha!" She burst into another laughing fit. "Help yourself! You two could only dream of fucking a big titted woman like myself."

"Now, now Miu, that's enough," The green haired guy spoke up as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You can't come straight out with comments like that. It's unbecoming of a woman such as yourself."

"Fi-Fine, ju-just because these perverts can't handle this mu-much woman." She lost all of her confidence rather fast.  _Oh so, she's all bark and no bite. Noted. I wonder how she'll take insults._

"Who exactly are you anyway?" Shuichi let out a sigh. He was aware of how this could end.

"Wh-What? Yo-You, don't even know who I am?" We shook our head in agreement. With a burning passion, Miu was quick to recover her confidence. "Stop thinking with your dicks for second because I'm only saying this one! I'm the one, and only, legendary Ultimate Inventor herself- Miu Iruma!"

_Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Inventor!_

_Date of Birth: November 16 (Scorpio)_

_Height: 5'8"_

_Weight: 123 lbs_

_Chest Size: 39"_

_Blood Type: AB_

_Like: Children's television_

_Dislike: Taking it easy_

"Okay... what do you invent?"  _I have never heard of you before._ Yet, I still gave her the benefit of the doubt.

"A bunch of shit! Gadgets that let you type when you're sleeping, ones that read when you're sleeping. Important shit!" She proudly smiled.  _I can actually get behind that. Machines that will do my chores while I sleep?_ "We waste too much fuckin' time with sleep."

"Are all your inventions related to sleep?" Shuichi dared to ask.

"Nah, as a gag, I invented eyedrop contact lenses. For reason, people took that crap like that shit was crack on a stripper's tits." Miu growled at that 'unpleasant' thought. "I sold that patent to the company, and I haven't look back yet."

"You could've lived off that money for decades, but oh well, the past is the past now." The light green haired guy tapped his forehead with his ring finger. "You two wouldn't happen to know anything about of our situation?"

"No, I don't even remember getting kidnap." I groaned.  _I shouldn't wait for Tsuna and the others to rescue me, or I won't hear the end of it from Stupidera._

"Then, we're all in the same boat, huh?" He shrugged.

"Like hell! The world will mourn the loss of this bombadous babe!" Miu declared. "I can promise you that fuckin' much!"

"Since no one seems to remember who or how they were kidnapped, that only mean we all have amnesia or something." He figured.  _Nyeh, I don't even want to think of that possibility. That would just open up a bunch of questions._

"The odds of eighteen people having amnesia is nearly zero. That's not normal-" Shuichi tried to explain.

"Well then, I guess we're in an abnormal situation then." His expression took a dark turn. Not Maki or Hibari kind of dark and murderous tone, no, he didn't have that kind of effect.  _Rather, he seems like he's kind of fucked up in the head a bit. Insane almost..._  "Or group hypnosis or even brainwashing..."

"What the fuck?!" Miu screamed as she slowly backed away from his and towards us.  _Oh, so she hasn't seen this side of him yet?_ "What the fuck is up with you?"

"Who knows?" He chuckled wholeheartedly. "I hope we figure this mess out, or I'll end up as the outcast."

_I think it's a little bit too late for that..._

"What... do you mean?" Shuichi warily asked.

"I can't remember my talent. It's kinda embarrassing." He laughed a bit to himself. "I'm almost certain that I'm an Ultimate, but I can't remember what the title was."

"It would be weird if everyone but one person had a talent." Shuichi thought about the subject. "You don't look familiar, like Ryoma or Kirumi. What's your name?"

"Ah-haha, you don't remember my name?" He smirked to himself.

"No, this is the first time we've met right?"

"I would say that is correct. The name's Rantaro Amami." Rantaro smiled.

_Rantaro Amamoi, The Ultimate Mystery!_

_Date of Birth: October 3 (Libra)_

_Height: 5'10"_

_Weight: 137 lbs_

_Chest Size: 32"_

_Blood Type: B_

_Likes: Extraterritorial rights_

_Dislikes: Cars_

"Soo, we'll be going." Lambo pushed Shuichi out of the basement and back to the first floor. I learned the hard way that people who could flicker between insanity and sanity were the ones I should stay away from. _I am not having a repeat of Pineapple Satan._

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Rantaro)!_

We got back about around Kaede's Ultimate Lab before I heard a familiar voice.

"What the fuck, you assholes?! You dare ditch a fuckin' genius!" Miu shouted as she approached us.

"Miu? Aren't you suppose to be with Rantaro?" Shuichi scratched his cheek.

"Fuck that noise! I ain't sticking with the psycho!" The inventor declared as she signaled us to follow her. "Come on, let's get some food!"

I glanced at Shuichi to see what he wanted to do. He copied my usual shrug and followed behind her. We followed her down a narrow hallow that had another pair of stairs leading downwards at the end. Apparently, we were on the second floor, the pink frilly stairs take us down to the basement. The normal stairs to the right will lead us to the first/main floor. Coming down from the stairs, I saw the bathrooms were straight ahead, yet Miu made a turn down another hallway then another turn. Kicking through the double doors, Miu made her way into the room. Reluctantly, we followed behind her.

 _Oh, a dining hall._ It wasn't the biggest dining hall I've been in, but the place was decent except for the vines growing everywhere. There were about three tables with six steel chairs at each one; therefore, everyone should have a seat. The kitchen was placed to the right of the cafeteria. Himiko was actually sitting at the table centered in the middle with two guys.

One was about the size of Ryohei on super-steroids. He had tanned skin tone like Ryohei actually, but this guy had red eyes and messy dark brown hair, unlike Ryohei. He wore a brown school blazer and matching brown pants, a dark, lime-green tie... and no shoes.  _Why? Why is everyone here missing a screw or scary?_  He placed a green container on the table as the three of them joyfully talked to each other.

The other guy had purple slanted hair and a goatee. He was wearing about two shirts and a purple jacket, yet he didn't put one of his arms through the sleeve of his shirt.  _I'm too lazy to describe him anymore. I've been doing this like thirteen times._

"Himiko?" Shuichi raised an eyebrow as the three of us approached the table.

"Hey, it's you two again." The magician weakly recalled. She let out a low growl when she saw me standing at the table. "What do you want?"

"Some food, duck lips! Where's Kirumi?" Miu demanded.

"No need to upset! Miss. Kirumi bring food for everybody!" The giant answered with a naive smile. "Come join Gonta and friends!"

Quickly rising to his feet, the messy haired man showed off his true height and sheer muscle. He pulled out a single chair before making a motion for someone to sit. The three of us looked at him confused.  _I'm assuming that seat if for Miu or something._  Shuichi and I took a step back to make the situation clear to the inventor.

"About time I get some goddamn respect!" Miu proclaimed as she took the seat. Smiling, Gonta literally rammed Miu's chair into the table with all his might and her stomach collided with the table. Doubling over, Miu collapsed onto the floor, clutching her stomach. "Shit, Tarzan!"

"Oh no, Gonta sorry!" Gonta tried to comfort her, but Miu crawled away in fear.

"Save the roughness for the bedroom!" Miu growled, but she crawled to the table in the corner altogether. "Shit, that fucking hurt!"

"I feel like that's karma for all the insults you've been saying." I rolled my eyes.

"Gonta no gentlemen..." The giant whimpered.

"It's okay man." The purple haired man patted Gonta on the back. "You just don't know you're own strength."

"I don't know. It looked like that was intentional." I scratched the back of my head.

"Gonta promise. Gonta no bad person!" Gonta hiccuped. I clutched my stomach.  _Shit, is this what guilt feels like?_

"I'm joking, giant." I immediately tried to change the subject. "How about you introduce yourself?"

"Ummm... Gonta's name is Gonta Gokuhara. Gonta's talent is Ultimate Entomologist." Gonta stuttered.

_Gonta Gokuhara, the Ultimate Entomologist!_

_Height: 6'6"_

_Weight: 207 lbs_

_Chest size: 43'_

_Blood Type: A_

_Likes: Arthropods_

_Dislikes: Bananas_

"Entomologist?" Shuichi questioned.

"Yes, Gonta want to become the perfect gentlemen, too." Gonta smiled.

"So, you like bugs and being nice?" I figured.

"Gonta loves all insects!" Gonta's whole body pumped itself and grew outward at the mention of 'insects'. "Do you all love bugs too?"

"Hell to the fucking-" Miu was about to get all of us killed.

"I'm mean yeah." I nonchalantly answered and flipped her the bird behind my back, so Gonta couldn't see. "Charming and I use to play with bugs all the time when we were kids."

_Yeah, if I forget to mention all the times I stuck ladybugs in I-pin's hair to make her more ladylike._

"That good! Gonta and... Gonta no know friend name." He blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod," I extended my hand to him.  _Please don't crush my hand. Please don't crush my hand. Please don't crush my hand._  Slowly, he copied me and grasped my hand as gently as possible. Gonta slowly shook my hand, not to have a repeat of what happened to Miu. "And, this is Shuichi Saihara."

"...The Ultimate Detective," Shuichi tipped his hat in Gonta's direction.

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Gonta)!_

"Wait, you're the Ultimate what?" Miu shouted. "What? Did thunderbolt shoot out of your dick or something?"

"That just sounds painful." Shuichi sweatdropped.

"Gonta no understands Miu," Gonta said with a bit of shame.

"Stay innocent Gonta," Himiko weakly smiled. "It's a pain to understand her."

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Miu)!_

"Lunch is finished. I hope it meets everyone's expectations!" Ms. Tojo pushed out two carts worth of cuisine from across almost every major culture. It's almost inhuman how fast she made all of this because I am certain none of this was frozen.  _Ms. Tojo's standards are too high for pre-cooked frozen food. She'll kill and skin a living chicken before she takes a bag of chicken nuggets out of a fridge._

"That's am-amazing!" The purple haired guy's mouth salivated. I picked up a shrimp and examined it with my one opened eye before popping it in my mouth.

"...You've imp- You're pretty good," I shallowed the shrimp before complimenting her.

"Pretty good? This is a five-star meal!" He exclaimed.

"You've clearly not been to a five-star restaurant before." I cleaned my ear with my finger. "M-Kirumi knows what's she's doing, but she's not the Ultimate Chef or anything."

"And I'm saying this is perfection!" His eyes burned with passion.

"Chill, it's not that important," I yawned in his face. "Who are you anyway?"

"Kaito Momota, the Luminary of the Stars! Even children will adore the Ultimate Astronaut!" Kaito fist-bumped himself. "Pretty cool, huh? I'm an astronaut!"

_Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Astronaut!_

_Date of Birth: April 12 (Taurus)_

_Height: 6'0"_

_Weight: 163 lbs_

_Chest Size: 35"_

_Blood type: O_

_Like: House Plants_

_Dislikes: The Occult_

"Not really, I've seen more impressive things." I shrugged. "How many times have you been in space?"

"If you accomplish your dream this early, then the rest of your life anti-climatic!" He clenched his fist as he smiled.

"In other words, you haven't even left the country." Kokichi's voice rang throughout the dining hall as him, I-pin, Kaede, Tenko, Maki, and Hoshi entered the room. "Geez, you could at least be better at bullshitting."

"Why you little-"

"So, you're an Ultimate...how..." I-pin asked as Ms. Tojo placed a dish in front of every chair but one. Shuichi, Kaede, I-pin, myself, Miu, and Koichi completed a table. Tenko stole Kaito's seat and slipped into the chair beside Himiko. Maki and Hoshi sat alone at the table in the corner.

"I was really good buds with this guy that knew how to forge stuff. One thing led to another and I passed the exam. First teenager to do it too!" Kaito proudly proclaimed.

"Don't you need a college degree to take that shit!" Miu accused. Kaito nodded with a goofy smile. "That's fuckin' illegal, dipshit! I oughta report ya ass to 12! Hope you drop the soap and get split in half!"

"Gonta still no understand Miu." Gonta pondered for a minute. "Why tell on Kaito to a number?"

"Well, Gonta, twelve is slang for the police. Dropping the soap means-" I threw my hand over Kokichi's mouth.

"We shouldn't corrupt Gonta." Shuichi sweatdropped.

"For your information, I did get caught, but I'm so damn likable. They let me off with a warning." He explained further.

"That's still too reckless." I-pin shook her head in disappointment.

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Kaito)!_

"Is this everyone?" Shuichi posed the question.

"No, Angie, Tsumgi, Keebo, Rantaro, and Kiyo are still roaming around." Kaede shook her had.

"Yeah, I only know who Keebo and Rantaro are." I finished my plate and offered it to Ms. Tojo. "Thank you for the meal."

"It is merely my duty as a maid." Ms. Tojo smiled softly.

"Lambo, I thought you were gonna meet everyone." I-pin narrowed her eyes.

"I tried, but Miu dragged us here to get food. I had like five people left. Cut me some slack, will ya?"

"Degenerate males and their excuses," Tenko grunted. "Take responsibility for your own actions!"

"So, how was everyone's tour of school?" Ms. Tojo generously changed the subject.

"It's pretty old, and there are more buildings beside this one." Kaede sighed.

"Ah yes, there is certainly some history hidden deep within this school." A new voice appeared at the door as Keebo, Rantaro, and two new girls walked in.

There was a tall and slim guy with extremely long hair and yellow eyes. He had this weird mask on his wore a dark green military-style uniform with knee-high black boots, a zipper lining the front and two straps over it. His hands were wrapped in bandages.

To the left of Keebo stood a dark-skinned girl who was wearing nothing more than a lacy bikini swimsuit and a yellow smock. She had snow white hair and light blue eyes.

To the right of Rantaro was a blue haired girl with round thin glasses. She wore a dark blue jacket with a white collar shirt underneath and an ankle length dress.

"So this is where everyone went," Rantaro chuckled halfheartedly.

"Yep, it's plain to see that we've already been outed." The blue haired girl sighed.

"No one's been outed. We're all friends here." Kaede mentioned. I scoffed, and I-pin pinned my face.

"Nyahaha! Yes, as Atua predicted! We will become wonderful friends underneath his watchful eye." Bikini girl exclaimed with a joyful smile.

"Who's Atua?" Shuichi asked.

"That's right. We haven't met yet, huh." The blue haired girl thought. "I'm Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer. And, this is Angie, the Ultimate Artist."

"And I shall make this very clear. My name is Korekiyo Shinguji. I am called the Ultimate Anthropologist." The masked man explained.

_Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer!_

_Date of Birth: August 15th (Leo)_

_Height: 5'9"_

_Weight: 112 lbs_

_Chest Size: 33"_

_Blood Type: A_

_Likes: EVA foam_

_Dislikes: Disorderly queues_

_..._

_Angie Yonaga, the Ultimate Artist!_

_Date of Birth: April 18th (Taurus)_

_Height: 5'1"_

_Weight: 90 lbs_

_Chest Size: 28"_

_Blood Type: A_

_Likes: Avocados_

_Dislikes: Humidity_

_..._

_Korekiyo Shinguji, the Ultimate Anthropologist!_

_Date of Birth: July 31st (Leo)_

_Height: 6'2"_

_Weight: 143 lbs_

_Chest Size: 32"_

_Blood Type: O_

_Likes: Straw Rope_

_Dislikes: Air Conditioning_

"Anthropologist?... Oh, Kiyo must like arthropods!" Gonta smiled as he 'deducted' Kiyo's talent.

"No, anthropology as in customs, legends, folk tales, and songs. I study cultures, not arthropods. However, I will admit arthropods do make an impact on some cultures." Kiyo explained calmly. "If there are no more questions, is everyone aware of the living situation?"

"We're living here? Like prison cells?" Ryoma asked in the most appropriate manner.

"No, there's only nine dorms, so we're gonna have to live with someone." Kaede sweatdropped. "The Monokubs gave me the list. Take a look."

**Dorm 1: Shuichi Saihara and Lambo Bovino**

**Dorm 2: Kokichi Oma and Rantaro Amami**

**Dorm 3: Kaito Momota and Korekiyo Shunguji**

**Dorm 4: Gonta Gokuhara and Ryoma Hoshi**

**Dorm 5: K1-B0 and Miu Iruma**

**Dorm 6: Maki Harukawa and I-pin Fon**

**Dorm 7: Tsumugi Shirogane and Kirumi Tojo**

**Dorm 8: Kaede Akamatsu and Tenko Chabashira**

**Dorm 9: Himiko Yumeno and Angie Yongana**

"I am uneasy about a male living with a female," Tenko glared at Keebo.

"It's fine. Kiiboy is a girl robot." Koichi reassured her.

"Oh, then, it is perfectly fine!"

"I am definitely sueing you when we leave this place, Kokichi!" Keebo claimed. "I am not a female robot!"

"How dare you try to deceive me, you degenerate!" Tenko glared at Keebo once more.

"I tried nothing of the sort!"

"Kufufu, this is a lively bunch." Kiyo chuckled softly. Ms. Tojo nodded in agreement.

"Even though this is temporary, is everyone okay with the rooming?" I-pin asked. "If anyone is uncomfortable with their partner, we can make some changes."

"Nah, I'm pretty good. Shuichi and I get along pretty well." I relaxed in my chair.

"As long as you don't become a nuisance," Maki sighed, "We won't have a problem."

"Wow, me and the Ultimate Mystery, this oughta be interesting," Kokichi mischievously smirked. "Make sure you don't bore me Rantaro."

"Gonta try hard to be best roommate!" Gonta beamed a smile in Ryoma's direction.

"Ah, that's so sweet Gonta." Kaede blushed. "I'm gonna strive for the same thing for Tenko's sake."

"Well, I'm living with the Ultimate Maid," Tsumugi hummed. "I don't think there will be any friction between us."

"Nyahaha, I will introduce you, Himiko, to Atua in no time," Angie laughed.

"It's your lucky fucking day Keebo! You're getting laid tonight." Miu suddenly burst into a laughing fit.

"...I wish for an exchange." Keebo warily eyed the inventor and I-pin.

"Then, that would mean either Kaito or Kiyo might need to change." Shuichi pointed out. All eyes fell on those two.

"Heavens no, I would kill her before the night was over," Kiyo shook his head.

"Well, I think Kiiboy should stick with Miu since she'll apparently fuck anyone with a functioning dick," Kokichi claimed before Kaito could get a word out. "Since Kiiboy's gender is a mystery, Miu can't fuck him."

"I am a male robot!" The Ultimate Robot glared at the unfazed Kokichi.

"Do you have a dick then?"

"We're gonna find out tonight, hahaha!" Miu laughed.

"Never a dull moment between those three, huh." Tsumugi sighed with a thin smile on her face.

"It's a pain to listen to them," Himiko let out an exhausted sigh.

_Ding Dong! Bing Bong!_

"Was that a bell?" Kaede asked with a hint of confusion.

"Yep, but we all might need to take a look at the monitor," Rantaro turned his attention to the monitor hanging above the door.

The five Monokubs were sitting on a red and black zebra printed couch. Dolls versions of us were thrown around the screen.

"HIIIII, that's for bearing the wait!" Monophanie cheerfully said with a cup of pink lemonade in her hand. "The opening ceremony is about to begin!"

"Head to the gym everyone," Monotaro directed us before the screen turned off.

"It seems we have been summoned. Shall we go?" Ms. Tojo waited for our response.

Feeling uneasy and unsure, the eighteen of us exited the dining hall, and we followed Kaede and Kaito down the hallways and to our fate.

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Tsumugi)!_

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Angie)!_

_Friendship Fragment obtained (Korekiyo)!_


	5. Prologue Part 5!

_I don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts= Italics_

_Last time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod..._

_Ding Dong! Bing Bong!_

* * *

_"Was that a bell?" Kaede asked with a hint of confusion._

_"Yep, but we all might need to take a look at the monitor," Rantaro turned his attention to the monitor hanging above the door._

_The five Monokubs were sitting on a red and black zebra printed couch. Dolls versions of us were thrown around the screen._

_"HIIIII, that's for bearing the wait!" Monophanie cheerfully said with a cup of pink lemonade in her hand. "The opening ceremony is about to begin!"_

_"Head to the gym everyone," Monotaro directed us before the screen turned off._

_"It seems we have been summoned. Shall we go?" Ms. Tojo waited for our response._

_Feeling uneasy and unsure, the eighteen of us exited the dining hall, and we followed Kaede and Kaito down the hallways and to our fate._

This time with Lambo Bovino...

The eighteen of us made our way to the gym in about five minutes actually. Kaede was surprisingly well versed in direction. When we opened the doors to the gym, it was empty except for some basketball hoops and weeds growing out of the floor.

"What the hell?" I yawned. "What's the point of telling us to come to the gym if they're not gonna be here beforehand?"

"Nyeh, what's gonna happen to us? I bet it will be a pain." Himiko rubbed her eye.

"Ugh, we could've stayed in the dining hall longer if they were gonna be late." I continued to complain.

"I agree. I like the way you think Lambo." Himiko gave me a half-assed smile. "You're not as bad as I thought."

"Huh? They bonded over their laziness?" Shirogane gasped as Tenko glared at me out of the corner of her eyes.

"Excuse my sudden change in subject, but I do not believe we should relax right now," Keebo announced his opinion. "We still do not know what the Monokubs wants from us."

"There's nothing to afraid of, man!" Kaito puffed out his chest. "If the eighteen of us work together, no one can beat us in a fight! I'll kick their asses!"

"Don't rush to such a conclusion, Kaito." I-pin scolded him. "Tenko and I are the only ones with proper training. Gonta, Himiko, and Lambo could something, but-"

"I'm out of mana." Himiko sighed as she puffed out her cheeks. "I'm too tired to fight."

"You don't even have enough for support magic?" Kokichi gasped.

"Not even support magic..."

"Then, that only leaves potentially four candidates." Maki thought on the subject.

"Now, now, let's refrain from violence," Rantaro chuckled awkwardly. "The Monokubs might very well our allies somehow."

"Allies don't kidnap each other," Maki hissed with a dark expression on her face.

"Hate to say it but Maki has a point," I shrugged. "There's a reason why we were kidnapped, and it wasn't for a surprise party."

"Come on guys, we gotta keep a positive attitude," Kaede frowned in Maki and my direction.

"Look at what you did Kiiboy," Kokichi whimpered. "The group is divided. Who's gonna win? Team Maki or Team Kaede?"

"You're instigating, Kokichi," Ryoma frowned as he held is candy stick. "This is not the time for your antics."

"Aw, you saw right through me, Hoshi," Kokichi giggled to himself.

"You fuckin'-" Miu's growl was cut off by the soft and curious voice of Gonta.

"Huh? Gonta hears something." Gonta placed his finger on his chins he thought. A moment of silence went by as everyone tried to hear whatever the giant heard.  _I think I heard a car revving, but we're in a school._

"Oh, it sounds like mecha revving up from an anime," Shirogane sighed as the sound got louder. Flipping out of the gym's wall, five actual mechas quickly surrounded the eighteen of us. "Kyaaaaaaaah!"

"Everyone, get behind Gonta!" Gonta declared as he got into fighting stance. Miu and Shirogane wasted no time attaching themselves to the giant's back.

"I'll protect you, Himiko!" Tenko stood in front of the magician as she glanced at the five monsters.

"Rise and Shine, ursine!" The Monokubs voices rang through the thick interior of the robots.  _Those...Those things aren't messing around. Ugh, this is a pain. I want to bring out Gyuudon and have him handle this, but I-pin doesn't want us showing our hand this early on. But... That doesn't mean I can't use the electricity I have in my hair and horns._

"Woooooah! That's cool!" Kokichi's eyes sparkled as he rubbed the red one's leg. "What are these things? I want one!"

"Kokichi! Get away from that thing," Kaede screamed as she dragged him away by the arm.

"These are Exisals- highly mobile, bipedal weapon platforms." Monotaro proclaimed as he waved his hand around.

"Well Kaito, this is your chance to, as you said, 'kick their asses'." Maki folded her arms, unfazed by the situation.

"N-No one said anything about weapons." Kaito stuttered.

"Okay, that's enough of the antics. Let's chill out." Rantaro sighed he looked around the room. "I doubt we're in any real danger. If they wanted us dead, they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of bringing us here."

"Indeed, Rantaro's logic is flawless. Now if that is the case," Ms. Tojo calmly approached the pink Exisal. "What do you want from us? It is clear by the amount of weaponry at your disposal, you want us to complete a task. The faster we complete the task at hand the faster we can leave correct?"

"As expect from the Ultimate Maid," Rantaro hummed. "She capable of remaining calm in the face of any challenge."

"It's boring as hell if you're gonna be calm about everything!" Monokid screamed in outrage. "Here's what we're gonna have you punk ass bitches do-"

"IT'S-A-KILLING-GAME," Monodam announced in a very robotic tone.

"I beg your pardon?" I-pin blinked twice, dropping her guard a bit in the process.

"Damn you Monodam, I'll squish you like the bug you are for that!"

"Can you repeat that?" Ms. Tojo gripped the helms of her skirt tightly. "I sincerely believe I misheard you."

"IT'S-A-KILLING-GAME," Monodam repeated in a clear robotic tone.

"Gasp, he did it again!" Monophanie shrieked.

"A ki-killing game?" My complexion paled at the thought of I-pin or myself dying in this hellhole invaded my mind. "Sei cazzo con noi, giusto?"

"Pupupupu! Sorry kiddies, but they're correct!" Another voice boomed through the gym. This one was also foreign to me.  _It's not as childlike as the Monokubs, and it's not that robotic. Yet, I don't think it's a human voice._

"That voice!" Monotaro exclaimed in excitement. "Father!"

"Father came!" Monophanie bounced around the gym.

A thick fog covered our feet as the lights dimmed. Two-stage lights shined downward onto a single spot on the floor. There, another monochrome teddy bear floated down with devilish wings on its back. This toy was much taller than the Monokubs which wasn't much since they barely came up to Himiko's waist.  _To be honest, the only intimidating bout the Monokubs are the Exisals, and those things are nothing more than walking machine guns._

"It's finally time for the Headmaster of the Ultimate Academy to make his famous entrance!" The black and white bear shredded his wings as it dropped to a podium. "It's everyone's favorite bear, Monokuma!"

"Alright, who the fuck brought in the stuffed animal?" Miu glared around the room.  _Shit, don't look at me. I'm confused like everyone else. Hell, I thought five teddy bears was enough._

"Whoa there missy. I'm no stuffed animal. I'm Monokuma." It patted its stomach with a sense of pride.

"Do ya got stuffing in you?" Miu surprisingly didn't back down.  _I admire the courage, but this isn't the time. They just said we're in a killing game!_

"I think you're missing the point." I sweatdropped. "Why did the Monokubs say we're in a killing game? What even is that?"

"Upupupupup! Wouldn't you all like to know?" Monokub giggled as his paws guarded his lips.

"Why are you smiling?!" Kaeda shouted, but the fear was very much clear in her voice.

"Because I never get tired of this feeling," The bear sighed. "It's exactly as it sounds, but I'll explain it for the slow ones. I want the eighteen of you, Ultimates, to participate in a killing game."

"Nyeh, that's pain." Himiko sighed. "Can't we do something else?"

"You made it sound like you've been through this before," Shirogane sweatdropped.

"There's no way any of us could be apart of something like that!" Kaeda declared as she took a stand against the bear.

"Upupup!" Monokuma laughed, completely unfazed by the pianist.

"What. Now?" Kaito growled as he became more and more enraged by the bear's demands.

"It's becoming clearer that some of you are slower than I originally thought. If you haven't noticed, there's a dome surrounding the academy." Monokuma boasted. "With my child piloting the Exisals, I can't see anyone repelling anytime soon."

"Therefore, you've become the ruler of life and death in this academy." Rantaro folded his arms.

"Exactly," Monokuma's eyes glistened with evil intent.

"So then, how are suppose to kill each other?" Hoshi popped the candy stick out of his mouth. "Weapons are gonna be given out? Or will we have the option of picking our weapons?"

"My, my, I didn't think someone would be bold enough to ask such a question," Korekiyo snickered to himself.

"There's no point in asking since we're not going to kill each other," It took every ounce of willpower inside of Kaito to keep him from moving.

"Geez Kaito, how are we suppose to play a game without knowing the rules," Kokichi said in a condescending tone. "You can't win without knowing the rules."

"Um, this is one game where I'm fine without knowing the rules," Shirogane said weakly.

"Weapons? No, no, that's too simple and boring." Monokuma sighed. "The point of this killing game is to get away with murder. For every murder, there will be a class trial to determine who lives or dies."

"So there's potentially more deaths after someone dies?" Maki clarified.

"Not potentially. It's guaranteed! If the remaining students can't correctly identify the killer for the case, then, the killer will be permitted to leave the school ground. Everyone else will be executed!"

"That's insane! You can't-" Tenko was cut off by Rantaro.

"Did you forget that he controls our fate?"

"Degenerate male! How dare you?!" Tenko fired back with all of her pent-up anger.

"I may be a degenerate male, but this is a serious conversation." Rantaro narrowed his eyes.

"So what happens if we can determine the correct killer for the case?" Maki ignore them and continued the conversation.

"Then, the killer is executed, and the remaining students will continue on with the killing game until two remains," Monokuma answered.

"Why two?" Shuichi focused his attention on the bear.

"A class trial would be boring if it's just two people bickering back and forth." Monokuma groaned.

"Kill without being caught and survive a class trial...those are the rules?" I-pin said fearfully.

"With the addition to the school rules, yes," Monokuma confirmed. "I'm not too picky when it comes to how you murder someone as long as the deed gets done. I would really hate to deal with a comatose victim."

"So if the victim is in a coma instead of being dead, there won't be a class trial?" Shuichi asked.

"Nope, you all can still figure out who got the drop on the victim, but I won't punish anyone since died. Consider it my good deed for the day." Monokuma declared. "Without further ado, let this mutual killing game begin!"

With that, Monokuma and his cubs disappeared from the stage. The eighteen of us glanced around the room. The people who I probably could have tolerated were now my enemies.  _No...how could this be happening? I don't... want this. I don't want to play this game. I don't want to die here._ Looking over to I-pin for guidance, I watched her stare off into empty space. Her mouth slightly opened, but her eyes looked passed the ground. It was in that moment I realized how hopeless we really were.

"I'm out,"

I looked away from I-pin for a moment to see who spoke up. Maki was already halfway to the door before Kaeda tried to stop her.

"Wait, Maki, where are you going?"

"Far away from the likes of you all," The Ultimate Caretaker answered as she opened the gym's door.

"Come on, there's no need to distance yourself from us." Kaeda pleaded.  _This isn't the time for blind optimism._ "The eighteen of us can think of something. We can find a way to escape."

"Didn't you hear what that bear said? The only way out of here is by killing someone." She glared at the Ultimate Pianist. "And, I don't plan on getting stabbed in the back by someone."

"No one here is gonna betray anyone," Kaito sighed. "We're friends after all."

"Friends?" Maki scoffed. "I'm leaving."

"Maki," Kaeda grabbed Maki by the arm.

"Kaeda, if Maki wants to leave, she's allowed to leave," I scratched my head.  _Arguing has always been a pain, but this girl is getting on my nerves._ "You can't force Maki to stay, and you can't force your ideas onto her."

"I'm not. I just want-"

"Then. Why. Is. Your. Hand. On. Me?" Maki narrowed her eyes in direction of Kaeda. Cowering, Kaeda stumbled back a bit.

"Aye, she was trying to keep the group together." Kaito stepped up next. Saying nothing more, Maki left the gym. "Geez, so cold."

"Well, I'm out." I shoved my hands in pocket.

"You too Lambo?" Shirogane gasped.

"Yeah, I have never been into the whole buddy-buddy idea," I shrugged. "Y'all can hold hands and sing kumbaya, but I'm out."

"Fuck that noise!" Miu flipped off everyone in the gym as she walked out the door. "I ain't trusting any of you test tube babies!"

"You guys, where are you going?!" Kaeda pleaded. "We can leave if we work together."

"Kaeda, you're doing it again..." Kokichi whispered softly. He lifted his face a bit to reveal a smirk. "Maki, Lambo, and Miu have every right to do as they please. If you dictate what they do, then, you're no better than Monokuma."

"I think what Kokichi is trying to say is that we all need time to cool down," I-pin ran interference. "Emotions are running high, and tension is building. So, how about we all take a breath and focus on something else? I will try reason with Maki and bring her to the cafeteria."

"What about Miu?" Tenko asked. "She walked out."

"Miss. Tojo, can you retrieve Miu and bring her to the dining hall?" I-pin offered the job.

"I will see it through with all my power." Ms. Tojo bowed.

"Are we done?" I groaned. I didn't bother waiting for an answer. I pushed the double doors open and walked down to my lab.  _It's worth looking at once._

It was about the size of a normal classroom. In the middle of the room, I saw a six-foot tall plasma globe that had green sparks roaming around it. My ten-year bazooka was resting against the wall in the corner.  _I should probably put that in my room before someone gets hit by a blast._ I shrugged.  _Oh well, it certainly ain't a weapon, so I have some time to move it._ I saw about ten of my old grenades hanging on the back wall.  _Yeah, I can't leave those around. Plus, that's kinda hard to explain._  I sighed.  _This is an annoyance._ I turned my attention to the wall to the left of me. It had the Vongola symbol engraved on it. I placed my hand on it and watch it glow light green. The six other Vongola rings appeared hanging, each, from a metal chain. A note floated down from the ceiling and into my hands.  _Wh-What the hell? Why are these here?_ Wanting answers, I ripped the envelope open.

_Dear Lambo,_

_If you are reading this, then we failed. The Vongola name must continue through you and I-pin. Assemble a new generation of Vongola Guardians._

_Find someone who understands and can influence the Rain, the Storm, the Cloud, the Sun, the Mist, and you, the Lightning. That will be your Sky and your new leader._

_Find someone could be the heart of the attack against the one who opposes you. That will be the new Storm guardian._

_Find someone who is like the Rain, capable of washing away all conflict and bring peace to the group. That will be the new Rain guardian._

_Find someone who allows nothing to bind to one place. They must be willing to act alone at a moment notice and strong enough to handle what comes in their direction. That will be the new Cloud Guardian._

_Find someone who has the ability to create nothing into something. Something into nothing. They must capable of bewildering their enemies and twisting reality itself as they please. That will be the new Mist guardian._

_Find someone who shines bright enough to cast away the shadows. Someone with a golden heart that can shine even in the darkest moments. That is the new Sun guardian._

_Remember who you are Lambo. You draw attention away from the other guardians and towards yourself. You are the lightning rod of the family, and forever our Lightning guardian._

_Bring about a future that you can be proud of. I know you were never the type to like emotional speeches, but I thought I would try one last time. Gokudera and Hibari might not say it, but we're all proud of the Lightning guardian you have become. I only wished we could see you grow even more._

_Forever your older brother and leader,_

_Tsunayoshi Sawada_

"I-I-I" My whole mind went blank. I couldn't believe it. Monokuma wiped out my whole family. No-Now I had to rebuild it. I felt my legs collapse under the weight of the pressure.  _Dear God, I can't replace them. Yamamoto Takeshi? Who would be a better Rain guardian than him? Ryohei Sasagawa? The man literally radiated positivity! With those two together, nothing seemed impossible. I'm pretty sure those two could move a mountain if they tried hard enough. Hibari Kyoya? That man will haunt me for the rest of my life if I gave away his property. Chrome Dokuro? There's no one in this world as soft-spoken and as dangerous her. Gokudera Hayato? Who could match how bipolar he truly is? One moment he's ready to blow someone to pieces and the next he's kissing up to Big Bro. Big Bro...I refuse to give away his ring away. I'm not debating this._

"Is Lambo okay?" Giant's voice came from above Lambo. "Gonta hear Lambo cry. Gonta check on Lambo because Gonta a gentleman!"

"There's nothing to worry about," I cracked a smile. "I'll be fine in a minute."

"Lambo sure? Gonta is Lambo's friend." Gonta proudly proclaimed with a big smile on his face.

"Yeah, I just needed a minute to collect myself," I grumbled to myself. I patted him on the back. "But, thanks for coming down to check on me, giant."

"Gonta glad to help!" Giant stated before realizing where he is. "Is this Lambo's Lab?"

"I guess, but it doesn't really reflect myself." I lied. I collected the rings off of the wall and stuffed them into my pocket. I picked the note off of the ground.

"Gonta sorry."

"Ain't nothing worth worrying about," I shrugged. I lead Gonta out of the room. "Come on, I-pin wanted us to go to dining hall once we calm down, right?"

"Yes! Ms. I-pin wanted that!" Gonta recalled with a smile.  _I like the idea of him smiling more than him frowning actually. Never thought that would happen._ "Gonta will lead the way!"

"I'm right behind you, Giant." I smiled softly.

_**The Ultimate Revival: Complete!** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I will be switching between Maki and Lambo's POV from the first arc until one of them dies or until the story. With six new spots to fill, who do you think will become the new generation of Vongola? Hope you enjoyed!


	6. What Does the Forecast Predict Part 1!

_I don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts= Italics_

* * *

_Last time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod..._

_"Yeah, I just needed a minute to collect myself," I grumbled to myself. I patted him on the back. "But, thanks for coming down to check on me, giant."_

_"Gonta glad to help!" Giant stated before realizing where he is. "Is this Lambo's Lab?"_

_"I guess, but it doesn't really reflect myself." I lied. I collected the rings off of the wall and stuffed them into my pocket. I picked the note off of the ground._

_"Gonta sorry."_

_"Ain't nothing worth worrying about," I shrugged. I lead Gonta out of the room. "Come on, I-pin wanted us to go to dining hall once we calm down, right?"_

_"Yes! Ms. I-pin wanted that!" Gonta recalled with a smile. I like the idea of him smiling more than him frowning actually. Never thought that would happen. "Gonta will lead the way!"_

_"I'm right behind you, Giant." I smiled softly._

This time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod...

**_Arc 1: Normal Life -_ **

**_What Does the Forcast Predicts?_ **

As instructed by I-pin, the eighteen of us were finally in one room. My table consisted of myself, I-pin, Gonta, Maki, Rantaro, and Kokichi. Kaede's table composed of herself, Shuichi, Tenko, Himiko, Hoshi, and Kirumi. The everyone else was compiled in the final table, also known as Angie, Kiyo, Keebo, Miu, Shirogane, and Kaito.

"Okay, now that everyone has calmed down, let's try to be more rational about how we handle our differences," I-pin suggested.

"The most ration course of action is to go over the rules and regulations." Rantaro offered. "We can't act without knowing our limitations."

"Kyfufufu, that is an excellent point." Kiyo softly chuckled. "Monokuma did take it upon himself to provide the rules on our devices. It would be shameful on our part if we neglected to look them."

"Any objections?" I-pin opened the floor for anyone to offer their opinions, but no one had nothing important to share. "Then, can Ms. Tojo read the first rule? After that, can you please choose someone else to read the next rule?"

"Huh? Why add the last question?" Kiiboy asked in a calculating tone.

"I believe I-pin is using this as a team-building exercise," Kirumi hypothesized. "Am I correct?"

"As my master said, everyone has limitations, and a team can cover those limitations." I-pin chuckled softly. "It's not a revolutionary kind of exercise, but I thought it could be an icebreaker since we're still unfamiliar with each other."

"That is perfectly fine. There is no need to worry." Ms. Tojo smiled softly before she turned to her iPhone. "Students are required to cohabitate at the Ultimate Academy for the remainder of the unforeseeable future. Rantaro?"

"Alright, the second rule states," The Ultimate Mystery cleared his throat, "When a murder is committed in the academy, a class trial will be conducted. Participation in this trial is mandatory for all surviving students. Ryoma?"

"Hmph...If the killer, to be referred to as 'the blackened', is correctly identified during the class trial, only the blackened will be punished for their crime." Hoshi stuck his candy stick back into his mouth. "Good enough? Himiko, kid, it's your turn."

"Nyeh? If the blackened cannot be identified, or if an incorrect student is identified as the blackened, all students except the blackened will be punished for the crime." Himiko muttered throughout the whole rule. "Um, Miu?"

"Got it Mosquito Bite! If the blackened survives the class trial, they are declared the winner. Then, they'll graduate from the Ultimate Academy and re-enter the outside world," Miu read.  _What kind of insult is Mosquito Bites?_ "Assume the position Keebo."

"...Assume the position? I am afraid I do not understand what you are requesting." Keebo's ahoge turned into a question mark. "Was that your way of telling me to read?"

"Gonta no understand too," Gonta muttered softly.

"Well Gonta, assume the position means Miu wants-" Kokichi tried to speak, but I covered his mouth.

"We are not corrupting Gonta today," I sighed. "Keebo stay focus and just read the rule."

"Very well, but I ask for an explanation later on. I wish to expand my vocabulary." Keebo proudly proclaimed "The sixth rule is if innocent students, hereinafter referred to as 'the spotless', continue to survive class trials, the killing game will continue until only two students remain. Maki?"

"Fine...'Nighttime' is officially designated as the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. During this time, the dining hall and gymnasium are closed. During Nighttime, everyone's sprites will disappear from the map." Maki answered. "I-pin?"

"The eighth rules claim that all acts of violence toward Monokuma, the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy, are strictly prohibited." I-pin spared me a glance. "Lambo?"

"Whatever...The next rule states that Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder." I paused. "What about indirectly?"

"What do you mean?" Shuichi raised an eyebrow.

"What if Kirumi is making tea, and Monokuma poisons it? Technically, if Kirumi serves that tea to me, she would've killed me." I offered an example.

"I don't think we have to worry about that," Rantaro sweatdropped. "Monokuma is interested in dividing us by getting us to kill each other. If Monokuma interfered and caused a murder, then, we wouldn't have a reason to distrust each other. We would distrust Monokuma and unite."

"So either way, we don't have to worry about Monokuma poisoning one of us?" Shirogane asked for clarification.

"Yep, all you got to worry about is Kirumi poisoning you," Kokichi giggled.

"To kill someone...I will never stoop to such a level." Kirumi gripped the helms of her dress. "It is my duty as a maid to provide service to the best of my abilities. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"Besides, I want to believe that Kirumi will do her best to protect everyone," Kaede pumped herself up. "Let's keep going. I-"

"I choose Shuichi," I yawned.  _Bring it down Kaede, I'm sure that motivational speech can be used when I'm not around._

"Wha-Um, alright..." Shuichi collected himself. I felt a sense of happiness build inside of me.  _Is this what teacher feel when they call on a student suddenly?_ "The tenth rule said that our Monophones are very important items. Make sure you do not damage them. Kaede?"

"Right! A body discovery announcement will occur when three or more students discover a body..." Kaede slowly softened her voice as she read the words the out loud.

"Hold on, something isn't adding up?" Shuichi folded his arms. "If the killing game ends with only two people, then why does it take three people to discover a body? Assuming the killer is counted as someone discovering the body, there's no way for the announcement to occur."

"That is strange." Shirogane hummed. "I can't see how they can hold a class trial like that."

"Does that mean the killer can go free?" I asked.

"There's only one way to find out." Kokichi laced his fingers behind his head.

"I believe we can live without knowing that answer." I-pin sweatdropped.

"Why would the killer be counted if they created the body in the first place?" Maki questioned the rules even further.

"Atua says we need not worry about such trivial matters." Angie clapped her hands together. "Atua has already foretold that no one shall die. Therefore, we don't need to worry about the specifics of the death-related rules."

"In any case, we should continue." Kirumi intervened. "We were on the twelfth rule, correct?"

"Yeah, Kirumi can you read for us again," Kaede smiled.

"As you command," The Ultimate Maid nodded. "Students have free rein to explore the school as they see fit."

"So, Monokuma won't stop us from going anywhere?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That fucking cocksucker must be confident that we won't find a way out," Miu growled.

"That confidence will be his downfall," Kirumi stated. "Kokichi?"

"Huh? What rule are we on?" He grinned in a carefree manner. "I wasn't really paying attention."

"At least fake it, you little dipshit!" The Ultimate Inventor rolled her eyes.

"Like how you fake all your orgasms?" The Ultimate Supreme Leader clapped back.

"How dare you disgrace her, you degenerate male?!" Tenko gripped the table to keep her herself from attacking the boy.

"Kokichi just read the rule..." Kaede sighed. "We're on the thirteenth rule."

"Gotcha! Students who violate these rules will be exterminated by the Exisals." Kokichi looked around the room. "I choose Gonta!"

"Gonta do his best! The headmaster may add additional reg..ula...tion... regulations! to this rule at any time." Gonta proclaimed. "What Gonta do now?"

"That... is an excellent question." Kiyo played with the charm around his neck.

"We could look for a way out," Kaede offered.

"But, Monokuma said there's only one way out," Himiko sighed depressingly.

"Logically speaking, Monokuma must've brought us here through some entrance," K1B0 responded.

"That can't be denied. However, what are the odds of us stumbling across it?" Maki folded her arms.

"That's where Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars, comes in and saves the day!" He raised his fist in the air with a righteous fury burning in his eyes.  _His determination almost makes me want to participate in whatever he's planning._

"What are you talking about?" Rantaro sounded almost skeptical about where Kaito was going with this.

"Gonta and I found a manhole earlier when we were looking around the boiler room!" Kaito proclaimed.

"That's the kind of information you give out at the start of the meeting." Hoshi shook his head in disappointment. "None the less, should we look into it?"

"Of course, we can use this opportunity to work together and escape." Kaede clapped her hands together. "This is our chance to show Monokuma that we won't succumb to killing each other."

"Gonta and Kaito, can you please lead the way?" Kirumi stood up and straightened her skirt.

"Gonta do his best," Gonta said with a hint of pride.

With the Ultimate Astronaut and Entomologist leading the pack, the eighteen of us departed out of the dining hall's back door. No one bothered resisting the idea of leaving this place.  _I'm sure we all have better places to be and better thing to do. When we do escape, I should tell I-pin what I found. She'll probably know what to do about it, or she, at least, should know who would be good candidates._

* * *

MAKI'S POV

 _The faster we escape the better it is for me. I can't waste time. I have things to do._ I brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear as the eighteen of us follow those two guys to the boiler room.  _It's not like I'm gonna have to meet any of these people unless I get a request for one of them. I shouldn't get too attached to any of them if that's the case._

_But, if this escape fails, then I'm going to need to be warily about what I said. As long as I stick to my story and omit the unnecessary information, I shouldn't raise any eyebrows. Then again, I did slip up around Bovino, Hoshi, and Saihara. Hoshi didn't seem to care all that much, but Saihara might look into me. Bovino...He's weird. He's scared of me, but he was willing to step in for me? Bovino's probably trying to get on my good side of out pure fear._

"Hmph, you look like you're thinking hard?" Hoshi smirked.  _Great._

"It's nothing." I sighed. "I was thinking about how someone managed to capture me."

"To stay on guard at every moment is impossible," He retorted. "Don't beat yourself up too much on it."

_Ryoma Hoshi is trying to bond with you?_

_Are you willing to hear him out?_

**_Might as well_ ** _/ Ignore him_

"I have better things to be doing than being stuck in this hell hole," I wrapped some of my hair around my index finger.

"You're talking about the orphanage you grew up in?" He took the candy cigarette out of his mouth.

"You actually remembered that?" I folded my arms.

"That's the story you told everyone. How could I not remember?" Hoshi offered one from his pack.

"...No thanks," I shook my head. "It was nothing more than the truth. I did what was expected for the sake of my orphanage."

"I'm sure that is why you're an Ultimate, huh?" He slid the pack back into his pocket. "It's good to have something live for, kid."

"I can't say you're wrong." I sighed. "...What about you?"

"What about me?" Hoshi raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you have anything to live for? Or, did you have nothing to lose?"

"I'll probably be taken back to prison to be placed back on death row. I am a killer after all." He hid his face underneath his hat.

"You're the Ultimate Tennis Player from what Saihara said, so what could drive you to murder?" I held back my scoff.

"When a person is pushed to their limits, that's when atrocities take place." He chewed away at the candy in his mouth. "Do what you gotta do to protect what you love while you got the chance. That's all I'm saying, kid."

"...I don't plan on giving up if that's what you're trying to get at." I played with some of my hair. "I won't let something like this stop me."

"Hmph, you sure you don't want one?" Hoshi offered another one. "We're getting close to the boiler room. With how you're talking, this might be our last interaction."

"...Thanks,"  _I don't smell poison, and no one is stupid enough to poison me while everyone is around. I might as well take one._ "...Why do you want to leave if you're just going to turn yourself in? You gain nothing."

"If you're asking a question like that, then, you still got a ways to go, kid," Hoshi smirked as he made his way deeper into the group.

_Friendship Fragment obtained!_

_Ryoma Hoshi and Maki Harukawa's bond reached level 2 out 5!_

What the hell is he talking about? _He's the one who's shooting himself in the foot by leaving. In here, he has a better chance surviving here than on death row._

"Whatever, it won't affect me in the slightest," I muttered to myself.

I stood in the back as Momota and Gokuhara revealed the manhole.

"So with this, we can escape?" Chabashira asked.

"It sounds simple," Tojo muttered to herself.

"Simple is the way to go. That way I don't have to worry about my lack of magic." Yumeno wagged her finger around.

_Would Monokuma make this easy? Would he really overlook a manhole of things?_

"Gonta, if you please, can you lift the manhole?" Fon smiled at the large man.  _He's probably one of the few people who can lift it._

"Gonta on it!" Pinching the end of the manhole, Gokuhara picked the metal disk up and tossed it out of the door with ease. Peering into the hole, we saw nothing more than a pitch black abyss with a single ladder going down.

"...So who wishes to take the plunge first?" Shinguji examined the pendant around his neck.

"Ladies first?" Momota scratched the back of his neck.

"Fuck off you limp dick bastard!" Iruma almost shoved Momota down the shoot. "Why don't you go first?"

"OOOO! Kiiboy should go first! So, if there's something dangerous down there, we won't lose anyone valuable." Oma said gleefully.

"This is not the time for your robophobic remarks! I am just as valuable as everyone here!" K1-B0 scolded the boy.

"But, we can always build another Ultimate Robot. You can't do that with a human."

"This is stupid," I rolled my eyes as I made my way through the crowd.

Ignoring their bickering, I started to climb down the ladder.

"Damn, letting the Ultimate Child-Caretaker show y'all up?" Bovino chuckled before joining me on the ladder. One by one, we all descended into the sewers. The ladder lasted about ten minutes before I reached the bottom. I used my phone as a flashlight.

This wasn't a normal sewer. We were in this large room with double doors to the left of the ladder. The double doors were somewhat rusty to the touch, but I doubted that a swift kick could bring it down though. Not waiting for the other half to catch up, I made my way past the double door.

"There's not much in this sewer, huh?" Fon said as she caught up with me.

_It's one after another with these people._

"What do you want?" I frowned.

"I didn't see you when everyone was gathering in that room, so I thought I would come check in here," Fon answered. "I know you're not entirely fond of our group, but I don't want you to get hurt. We don't know what could down here."

"I handle myself." I quicken my pace.

"But, with the two of us, we can beat whatever Monokuma throws at us twice as fast." She retorted.

"I do better when I'm alone." I closed my eyes.

"That's understandable. There are some people who prefer being alone." Fon took a deep breath. "However, no one can withstand solitude. Maki, I'm not saying you have to be friends with everyone, but please don't close yourself off from everyone."

_She's not as bad as Akamatsu, but she's just as persistent._

"...I'll think about it." I sighed.

"That's all I can ask from you," Fon said before the two of us stopped in front of another double door. Shining our lights on the door, I noticed a weird engraving. I could make out a seashell with wings hanging above a bullet. Two shotguns were used to intercept between the bullet and seashell. I walked up to the stone panel. There were six gems sockets circling around one in the middle. A raindrop, a thunderbolt, the sun, a cloud, a hurricane, and some mist each were engraved below one of the six gem holes. Below the center gem socket, it was the same clam with wings.

"What is this suppose to mean? A clam with wings? Weather forecasts? This makes no sense. I knew Monokuma wouldn't make it this simple." I grunted.

"Weather forecast...? In a place like this?" Fon muttered the rest to herself.

"Another wall?" Saihara shined his phone's light on the door.

"Nyeh, how much walking do we have left? I'm tired." Yumeno leaned against the wall.

"I'm sure we're almost out of here," Akamatsu reassured the child.

"It looks like we just gotta find the gems that fit these opening." Amami deducted.

"Upupup! It looks like you all need a good ol' fashion explanation," Monokuma rose out of the ground.

"Kyhaaa! It's back!" Shirogane screamed.

"Ho-How did you even find this place?" Akamatsu gripped the straps of her backpack.

"I have eyes everywhere. Do you really think I wouldn't notice eighteen high school students disappear?" He snickered to himself. "Setting aside your stupidity, I'm guessing you younglings want to know what's up with these double doors."

"I guess we cannot escape without knowing," Tojo sighed. "What is the cost of the information?"

"Call it your one and only phone in, this door will only open when the seven rings are gathered. When the rightful owners have the correct ring, the door will open. It's up to you to figure out where they are, and who get's what."

"That's easy enough. We'll be out of here in no time if we work together." Akamatsu smiled.  _Does she realize that Monokuma won't make this easy? I doubt he would even leave them in plain sight._

"So what do they look like? Besides them being somewhat hexagonal, what else should we be looking for in these gems?" Amami asked.

"What do you think is? Twenty question? It wouldn't be fun to watch if I answered every question." Monokuma raised his paw and revealed his claw. "Think for yourself and explore. After all, that's one of the rules."

"Geez, this is a pain," Bovino scratched the back of his head before he pulled out six rings. "I'm assuming Monokuma means these rings."

"How long have you had these Lambo?" Saihara asked.

"I had the one on my finger since I woke up. The rest I found in my lab." Bovino look around the room. "Luckily, there's instruction about what each ring mean. Mind helping me I-pin?"

"Ye-Yeah, let's see." Fon took the paper from him. "The indigo ring is called the Mist ring, and it should go to the person who can make nothing out of something and vice versa."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Iruma grunted.

"I think I-pin is referring to a type of magic." Saihara assumed. "Then, the best fit for that position would be Himiko, the Ultimate Magician."

"I'm the Ultimate Mage. My magic is real." Yumeno whined.

"Take the damn ring duck lips!" Iruma folded her arms. "The faster we get this shit done the faster we can leave."

"What is next, I-pin?" Tojo asked.

"The red ring is for the storm position. Whoever is at the heart of the attack should wear it."

"The heart of the attack? Whoever wrote this note, are they referring to battle expertise?" K1-B0 questioned. "I apology. I do not have much experience with riddles."

"That's a good guess. Then, it's plain to see that Tenko or I-pin fit that role." Shirogane tapped her finger against her chin.

"So who is stronger?" Yongana eyed the jewel intensity. "Atua doesn't usually permit fighting, but Atua's willing to make an exception in this instance."

"No one's fighting. Tenko can take it for the moment." Fon sighed. "If it doesn't work the first time, then the two of us can switch. It's no big deal."

"I will do my best for all the girls!" Chabashira slipped the ring on. "What's next?"

"The light blue ring is for the Rain slot. Whoever can wash away conflict and bring about peace is the rightful owner." Lambo recalled. "So the peacemaker of the group?"

"If I were to recall today's events, I-pin, Kirumi, Shuichi, and Rantaro were the most level-headed among us." Shunguji chuckled to himself. "Kfufufu! These descriptions are incredibly vague."

"Monokuma certainly didn't make this simple," Amami shook his head.

"But, that's what makes this so interesting. We're picking the seven most important people here." Oma snickered.

"Okay, how about we based it on talent again?" Hoshi suggested. "With Himiko and Tenko's talents being tied into their rings, wouldn't it make sense for all of them to be like that?"

"That's an excellent point." Akamatsu beamed a smiled in his direction. "Good job."

"That leaves the Ultimate Maid and the Ultimate Detective," Oma pointed out. "Since Rantaro doesn't know his talent and I-pin's talent is fighting based, Shuichi and Kirumi are the only ones whose talents require them to keep a level head."

"Dang, they both fit the position," Momota sighed. "Which talent requires more of a level head than the other?"

"Should we do the same thing we did with Tenko and I-pin?" Bovino asked.

"No, we shouldn't leave too many potential combinations. Assuming we correctly pick out the right people for other three positions, that's four potential combinations left." Saihara reasoned. "We don't know how chances we'll have to unlock this down. We could lock ourselves out if we're not careful."

"So what should we do?" Yumeno asked.

"For the moment, I believe Kirumi should get it. I'm still getting my credentials, so Kirumi is more of an Ultimate than me." He shrunk back from the position.

"I will do my best to fulfill this position," Tojo nodded for Fon to continue.

"The purple ring is for the Cloud Guardian. Whoever is willing to act alone at a moment's notice. Nothing can bind them." Fon finished. "So whoever is the lone wolf kind of person."

"OOOO! So we need an emo!" Oma's eyes sparkled.

"...That's one way of putting it." Shirogane sweatdropped.

"I hated to be the one to say it, but that's either Ryoma or Maki," Bovino stated. Out of the corner of my eye, I narrowed my eyes. "Oh don't give me that look. You give everyone the cold shoulder, and Ryoma told everyone to stay away from him."

"Hate to say it, but the kid has a point." Hoshi lowered his hat. "I've done what was needed to be done in the past."

"But, talent wise, it doesn't make sense. Maki's the Ultimate Child -Caretaker, and Ryoma is the Ultimate Tennis Player." Fon retorted. "Ryoma, you said yourself. We could be basing this off of our talents."

"Then, who would you pick? There are not many people left to choose from." Ryoma's face darkened.

"What about Miu? As an inventor, nothing can bind her imagination or hold her back from inventing whatever she wants." Fon offered.

"Damn straight! Gimme that ring!" Iruma snatched the ring from Bovino.

"I don't know. That sounds like you're stretching it a bit." Shirogane tilted her head to the side. "Maybe we should give it to Maki or Ryoma after all."

"Shirogane has a point. This one seems personality based." Bovino said warily. With a few nods from the group, Fon yielded to the majority.

"Then, it's either Maki or Ryoma?" She sighed. "Who do you all think fits the position?"

"Ryoma duh, he's okay with going to the extreme when he has to, riiight?" Oma laced his fingers behind his head.

"It looks like my past came in handy," Hoshi held his hand to Iruma.

"Y'all better be fucking right!" She growled.

"You're not the only one who's thinking that. The sixth ring is the yellow Sun ring. This is for someone who has a golden heart that can shine in the darkest moment." Fon announced.

"Alright, it's finally time for Luminary of the Stars to shine once again." Momota proclaimed.

"Hold the hell up, he gets a ring and not me?" Iruma glared around the room. "What kind of bullshit is that?! He doesn't even have a golden heart."

"Yes, I do. I'm a ball of sunshine." He shouted. "I can't do any wrong."

"You broke the fucking law just to get your title, dipshit!" She shouted in a louder voice.

"No one said he was getting the ring, Miu," Saihara reassured her. "Besides, there's Gonta, I-pin, and Kaede who could fill the position."

"Gonta could?" Gokuhara raised an eyebrow. "Gonta do his best, then!"

"My vote goes to giant," Bovino played favorites.

"Are we even going off talents any more?" I asked.

"Wouldn't that knock all of them out?" Hoshi questioned.

"I got this one! Music can influence us in more ways than one, so it can act as our beacon of hope at the moment." Akamatsu claimed.

"Wow, can you be any more shallow?" Bovino rolled his eyes. "Self-promotion isn't cool."

"Atua says art can do the same, so Angie should be considered as well," Angie smiled.

"She has a point." Shirogane nodded. "That reminds of this one game where this artist tried to convey the collective conscious."

"So, that makes Kaito, Angie, Kaede, I-pin, and Gonta." Shunguji counted them on his fingers. "Does anyone else wish to throw their hat into the ring?"

"I think we're all overlooking something. These position circle around the gem in the middle." Amami pointed. "If we can figure out the person for the center, would that knock out a couple of people?"

"Rantaro has a point. What does the paper say, I-pin?" Saihara turned to the girl.

"The orange ring is the Sky ring. Whoever wears this ring should be able to understand and influence other six rings." Fon lowered the note. "So, we need a leader?"

"Now, who comes to mind?" Amami smirked.

"I-pin and Kaede...they took it upon themselves to hold us together," K1-B0 mentioned.

"Then, could they be Sun guardian as well?" He continued to smirk.

"So, the Sun guardian is either Angie, Gonta, or Kaito. The Sky ring is for Kaede or I-pin." K1-B0 reasoned.

"Geez Kiiboy, you're sooo mean. How could you forget me?" Oma whimpered. "I'm literally the Ultimate Supreme Leader, or do you hate me that much?"

"Quit crying you fucking twink." Iruma rolled her eyes.

"Would Monokuma really make it that simple?" Saihara rubbed his chin. "The Ultimate Supreme Leader as the Sky?"

"He did it for Himiko, and she has the Mist ring." Bovino shrugged.

"Can't argue with that kind of logic," Yumeno lazily smiled.

"So, Kokichi gets that ring, but I-pin and Kaede can't run for the Sun position." Amami reasoned.

"In your robotic face Kiiboy!" Oma said gleefully as he showed off his ring.

"I did not refuse the notion of you getting the ring!" K1-B0 stated.

"Following talent pattern, Angie would be the best option," Fon sighed. Like most of us, her energy was running thin. "Any last minute rejections?"

"Nope!" Oma smiled, unaffected by how annoying this way. "Come let's do this."

Himiko, Tenko, Kirumi, Lambo, Kokichi, Angie, and Ryoma circled around the podium and stamped their rings into the correct openings. For a moment, nothing happened. We all look around at each other.

"God-fucking-dammit, so it was I-pin and not Tenko?!" Irumi rolled her eyes. "Mo-"

Seeping out of the door, crystals began to form around the door.

"Wh-Wh-What the hell?"

"Upupup! That's what I forgot to mention. The rings have to be lit, or it won't work!" Monokuma's laugh roared through the sewer. "The door has a fail-safe just in case some unworthy idiots try to open the door."

"Fuck off, you reject Teletubby!" Iruma growled.

"We gotta run!" Bovino ordered. "I don't want to find out what would happen if we touch that crap."

"Nyeh, my legs are jelly. I-I can-can't move." Yumeno whimpered as the crystal ice came closer.

"Himiko!" Chabashira jumped towards the little girl, but Gokuhara beat her to the punch.

"Hold on to Gonta! Gonta go fast!" With ease, Gokuhara was able to surpass the head of the pack. Fon and Chabashira lead the group while Bovino and Tojo stayed in the back make sure no one got left behind. I wanted to outrun them all, but I knew that would raise some questions.

We made it back to the rusty door just as the crystal ice caught up to us. Bovino, Momota, Saihara, and Gokuhara forced the door closed before the crystal could leak out.

"I-I thought I was gonna die." Yumeno huffed. "I owe you Gonta."

"No need, Gonta is a gentleman." He reassured her.

"So what now? There goes our ticket out of here." Hoshi picked out around candy stick from his pack.

"Come on guys, we can't give up." Akamatsu stood up. "We just got light the rings and melt that ice."

"No, we're not doing that." Bovino snatched the rings off of Yongana and Yumeno. "We almost died, and you want us to go back in there?"

"There has to be a way to fix this. I'm sure we can think of it if we put our heads together." Akamatsu pushed the notion. "We can't give up."

"And I'm saying no. I'm not risking my neck for some half-assed plan." Bovino got two more rings from Chabashira and Hoshi.

"Hold on, Kaede is right. We can't run away when things get rough. Our freedom is at stake." Momota claimed.

"That is where you are wrong. Freedom is merely an illusion. In one way or another, we are restricted." Shunguji mentioned. "For a society to survive, the citizens must be bound by laws. Therefore, their freedom to do as they please is restricted."

"But we'll be free from this killing game. That's why we can't give up!" Akamatsu claimed.

"To bad for you," Bovino revealed all seven rings in the palm. "I'm holding the keys. Say what you want, but I'll die before I hand these over to you."

"You can't be serious Lambo," Fon gasped.

"Aye man, there's no need to go that far. We just want to escape." Momota mentioned.

"Whatever, I'm out." He placed the green Lightning ring back onto his finger and pocketed the rest. Bovino started climbing back to the top.

"Lambo, are you really giving up?" Kaito growled.

"This is pointless." I scoffed.

"You too Maki? But-" Akamatsu gasped.

" 'We can't give up'...That's what you're about to say?" Oma muttered darkly. "Maki's right. This argument is going around in circles. Lambo had the right idea to leave. Kaito and Kaede have the moral high ground, so we'll be in the wrong to argue against them, right? They'll keep pushing us until someone dies."

"Kokichi-"

"But even then, they'll probably use that as an excuse to rally us even more. 'We can't let them die in vain. We'll escape and carry on their memories.' Doesn't that sound like something Kaede might've said if Himiko died back there?" Oma kept muttering to himself as he ascended the ladder.

"...Gonta...can you take me back to my room?" Yumeno whimpered. "I still can't walk."

"Gonta...will do." Gokuhara said weakly. "Gonta think he stays in his room too."

"It was worth shot, but this seems to be the stopping point." Hoshi hid his face from the rest of us as he left.

"That's five people." Amami sighed. "I guess we can always try again later."

I shook my head as I quietly left the group. I returned back to my room with one thought in my head.  _If I'm going to escape, I'm going to need to do it myself at any cost._

* * *

A/N: I honestly debated between using Shuichi or Maki. There was one person who got close to my roster, but I won't say who it is. I loved the feedback from the last chapter! Thank you for that and please keep it up.


	7. What Does the Forecast Predict Part 2!

_I don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts= Italics_

* * *

_Last time with Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Child Caretaker..._

_"...Gonta...can you take me back to my room?" Yumeno whimpered. "I still can't walk."_

_"Gonta...will_ do, _" Gokuhara said weakly. "Gonta think he stays in his room too."_

_"It was worth shot, but this seems to be the stopping point." Hoshi hid his face from the rest of us as he left._

_"That's five people." Amami sighed. "I guess we can always try again later."_

_I shook my head as I quietly left the group. I returned back to my room with one thought in my head. If I'm going to escape, I'm going to need to do it myself at any cost._

* * *

This time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod...

With the first day of our imprisonment finally over, I laid on my bed with the seven Vongola rings dangling over me. The Monokubs had already made an announcement saying that Nighttime had come and gone. I told Shuichi he could use the bathroom first. I had to take this time to think about my next move.  _What am I suppose to do? Should I really trust these strangers with my family's jewels?_

"The only way out is awakening six Dying Will Flames and," I murmured softly. " At the cost of replacing my family."

_Knock Knock!_

"Now, who could that be?" I shifted my head to the door. Pocketing six rings, I slowly made my way to the door. Cracking the dorm door, I saw I-pin standing there as cheerful as ever. "Geez, it's too early to be happy."

"Come on just open up, we need to talk," I-pin frowned. Sighing, I let her in. "Give me three of the rings."

"And why would I do that?" I locked the door behind us. "Don't you think an official Vongola guardian should hold them?"

"Lambo, you know that I'm part of that family just as much as you." I-pin frowned with a knowing expression. "Besides, it better to have two people guarding them instead of having one."

"I guess you're right, Charming. Which ones did you want?" I collected them out of pockets. "Big Bro's ring is out of the question though. I want to keep his ring..."

"I guess Gokudera...Hibari... and Yamamoto's rings should be safe with me." I-pin plucked them right from my palm. "I'm entrusting Ryohei and Chrome's ring to you as well."

"That's the only thing we can do. Besides, there's something about yesterday that has been buggin me." I worked my jaw. "That was Tsuna's Zero Point Breakthrough: First Edition, right? The same one he used on Xanxus ten years ago."

"The thought crossed my mind, but how could have Monokuma gotten ahold of that-" I-pin paused as a towel-clad Shuichi came out the bathroom. With a bright smile, she hid her hands behind her back. "Good morning Shuichi, how do you sleep?"

"I-pin?! What are you doing here?" The blue-haired boy blushed as he tightens his grip on his towel.

"I came to talk to Lambo about his behavior yesterday," She pinched my cheek and brought me down my knees without breaking eye contact with the detective. "You were raised better than that Lambo."

"Ow! What did I do?" I held back the tears.

"You were rude to Kaede yesterday," She hardened her grip on me. "Promise me that you'll be nicer and hold your tongue."

"Fine, fine! Just let go before you leave a bruise." I rubbed my cheek.

"You two certainly have an interesting friendship." Shuichi sweatdropped as he collected his clothes.

"Believe it or not, Charming's one of the few people I listen. I could probably count them on one hand." I muttered the last part to myself.

"So, what does it feel like you haven't changed since we were kids?" She rubbed her forehead. "Sorry Shuichi, I don't mind waiting outside so you can change."

"Oh don't worry, I was going to change in the bathroom," Shuichi pointed his thumb in restroom's direction. Murmuring a goodbye, Shuichi quickly walked back into the bathroom and closed the door.

"What's up with all the ahoges?" I raised an eyebrow. "Counting the robot, there's like five walking around."

"We have bigger things to worry about. Lambo, I'm holding you to that promise." She gave me a pointed look.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." I yawned. "How's your roommate?"

"Maki? She was gone before I woke up." My Chinese beauty folded her arms. "Her bed was so well made that I doubt that she even slept last night."

"What? Do you think she's up to something?" I cracked my neck.

"Who knows; with Monokuma deactivating our avatars on the map at night, it's nearly impossible to know where she's sneaking off to." I-pin tightened the braids in her hair. "Could she be the one behind all of this?"

"Nah, I doubt it. The mastermind in movies never makes themselves outcasts." I explained. "If anything, they try to blend in as much as possible with the group."

"So who do you suspect?" She asked in a low tone.

"Me? I don't have a single clue, but eventually, they'll slip up." I shrugged.

"Lambo, our lives are at risk. We can't be nonchalant about-"

_Knock Knock!_

"Who the hell could that be?" I folded my arms.

"Hold on, it's better to check the Map before opening it," I-pin flipped through her apps. "It's Kaede. Be nice and open the door for her."

"Nyeh, you do it," I scratched the back of my head.

"It's room, so you should be the one," I-pin groaned as she physically pushed me to the door. Putting on my relaxed vibe, I opened the door for the pianist.

"Oh good morning Lambo...and I-pin?" Kaede tilted her head to the side a bit to get a better look. "Was I interrupting something?"

"Lambo and I were just having a casual conversation, nothing too major," I-pin answered with a light chuckle.

"That's nice. How are two holding?" Kaede smiled.

"Pretty good, I guess. Shuichi and I are getting along just fine." I shrugged. "I'm guessing you're waiting for Shuichi?"

"Was I that obvious?" Kaede scratched her chin with her fingernail.

"No, but after yesterday, I doubt you would want to spend time with me." I rolled my eyes.

"We just got off on the wrong foot." She said with a resounding faith. "I know the eighteen of us will get along."

"...I'm sure we can be civil with one another at the very least," I had to pause before I said something wrong and unleashed the wrath of I-pin. "Your roommate was who again?"

"Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Aikido Master," She sounded rather proud of that. "Tenko was talking about starting a self-defense class for the girls in the gym."

"A self-defense class, huh?" I-pin scratched her chin. "Besides her and myself, the girls don't have any fighting experience. It might work in our favor... I'll need to look into that."

"Oh Kaede," Shuichi finally came out the bathroom. He adjusted his cap. "I didn't hear you coming in."

"Wait...you can't hear anything in the bathroom?" I raised an eyebrow. "We've been talking for a good minute."

"I guess the bathrooms are soundproof," Shuichi shrugged.

"Good to know," I shoved my hands into my pockets, "Come on, I'm hungry."

The four of us took the outside route to the dining since I believed it was faster.  _I didn't get a chance to talk about whether we're giving the rings out. I would give them back to Himiko, Kokichi, and Ms. Tojo, but I don't know if they can unlock their flames. Also...I can't shake this weird feeling. Why would Monokuma announce a killing game and then tell us how to leave? It's a contradiction if anything._

"It appears that we all survived the first day," Kiyo chuckled to himself as I-pin closed the door behind us. The four of us sat at the last table with Keebo and Miu.

"Of course, we're not going to play into Monokuma's hands," Kaito declared with fire in his eyes.

"With Himiko's magic on our side, we'll be out of here in no time," Kokichi smiled in a carefree manner.

"I'm still low on magic," Himiko sighed. "I couldn't sleep at all last night."

"Awww, can you at least cast a shield spell on us," Kokichi whimpered.

"Nyeh, maintaining a shield for one person would drain a day's worth of magic," Himiko clarified. "It would take eighteen days for me gather enough."

"There we go! All we have to do is wait eighteen days and then we can revolt against Monokuma!" Kokichi triumphantly stated.

"I doubt everyone here can wait eighteen days," Ryoma spared Maki a glance.

"There's also the fact that magic doesn't exist," I shook my head, "Himiko is a magician, not a mage."

"Nyeh, I  _am_ a mage," Himiko weakly said. "I just don't have amount magic to prove it."

"Take back what you said about Himiko, you degenerate," Tenko glared.

"Let us stay on topic," Ms. Tojo settle four plates in front of us.

"Kirumi's right, there should be another way out of here," Shuichi pointed out.

"We could use the tunnel again!" Kaede suggested. "The setback can't hold us back forever."

"Hey No-Tits, there's a tunnel worth of ice fucking blocking the way," Iruma scolded the pianist. "How are we suppose to melt it?"

"Geez, how useless are you," Kokichi yawned as he checked his Monophone, "You're the Ultimate Inventor, can't you make a flamethrower? OOOOO! I got an idea! Let's give Kiiboy flamethrowers as arms!"

"I firmly decline that suggestion!" Keebo frowned.

"You're no fun," Kokichi pouted.

"Hold on, Kokichi might be onto something," Shuichi held his hand up to his mouth for a moment. "If we had about four or five flamethrowers, then that might be enough to melt the ice."

"So, what do you say Iruma?" I pointed my fork at her, "Can you do it?"

"Of course Limpo! Y'all bitches better be counting your lucky star that I'm here 'cause we're about to bust out of this hellhole!" Iruma proclaimed with her hands on her hips. "With my Ultimate Lab, we'll be out of here in fucking three days!"

_Three days huh? I guess this way I'll know if Monokuma was able to replicate Bro's Zero Point Breakthrough: First Edition or not? A normal flamethrower can't melt the ice only the six guardian rings can thaw that ice._

"How divine! Atua foresees our escape!" Angie cheered.

"Then, we just have to burn the rings!" Kaede clapped her hands together.

"Wh-" I choked on my orange juice, "You want to burn them?"

"Well duh, Monokuma said we had to fucking light them on fire to get out," Miu pointed out.  _Was that Monokuma trying to get at? A normal person would think that, but I can't let these dumbasses burn these rings._

"Ho-Hold on, I don't think Monokuma was being literal," I-pin patted me on the back. "There might be a hidden meaning."

"I-pin may have a point," Kiyo raise his finger to his mouth to signal the group to listen. "These rings must fit into the molds. If we were to light them on fire, they may lose their shape."

"That is true," Shirogane tilted her head to the side a bit, "But, how else do we light them?"

"There's also the chance of someone getting burned," Shuichi commented.

"Would you rather get burned or risk dying here?" Maki narrowed her eyes. "Monokuma didn't beat around the bush yesterday, so why would he be metaphorical in that one instance."

"Logically speaking, Maki has a point." Keebo thought on the subject some more. "I believe we should burn them."

"Oh, once we melt the gems, Atua says they can be used in Angie's sculpture!" Angie eyed my ring.

"I have enough magic for a small fireball," Himiko smiled. Tenko firmly nodded along.

"That makes four who wants to burn them," Rantaro noted. "Does anyone else want to speak up? Kirumi?"

"I do not hold an opinion on the matter. I will go along with the majority." Kirumi stated as she wiped her gloves clean.

"I guess I'll be the fifth," Shirogane raised her hand. "Don't mind trying that route."

"Hold it, once we melt these rings, they won't fit into the molds," Shuichi mentioned.

"Not if we stick them in before lighting the fuckers on fire," Miu countered.

"Yeah but, if we're wrong, then they won't come out the molds," I-pin sighed. "They'll be fused to the molds."

"So the score so far is 8-9 if we exclude Kirumi," Rantaro counted. "Eight people want to burn them, and nine people want to find another way."

"That's no fun," Kokichi whimpered before a lightbulb went off in his head. "I know. I don't have an opinion either way, so it's a tie!"

"Really Kokichi," I deadpanned. "You just want to see us argue."

"There's nothing to argue about," Maki glared at me. "We have to burn the rings."

"While Monokuma did claim that was how we're supposed to do it," Kiyo played with his charm. "There's nothing backing up that claim. Monokuma may very well be trying to trap us in this place."

"I don't know," Shirogane cleaned her glasses. "Why would Monokuma offer this chance if he didn't want us to leave? Why leave the manhole uncovered?"

"Come on guys, let's give it a try," Kaede pleaded. "We have to be a united front if we're going to succeed."

"And what do you think is going to happen if we fuck up our only way out," I frowned.

"You know it's bad to go against Atua," Angie's face darkened for a moment before she returned to her usual cheerful self. "But, Atua says he'll forgive the ones who oppose him if Lambo hands over the rings."

"It's not about what's right or wrong," Shuichi shook his head. "It's about thinking it through and finding the correct answer."

"Fuck that! You bastards are making this harder than it has to be. Let's burn those shitty rings!" Miu growled.

"Hphm, they might be right," Ryoma sighed.  _I guess I have no other choice. Sorry, I-pin._

"Geez, y'all are annoying." I sighed. "This is what Monokuma meant by lighting the rings."

I closed my eyes for a moment and cleared my head of all unrelated thoughts.  _Come on Lambo, remember your resolve._ With my resolve embedded in my mind, I could feel my ring lighting itself usual green static flame.

"Lambo!" I-pin gasped. "Yo-You-"

"What the fuck? It's combusted!?" Kaito screamed.

"Quickly, we need to extinguish it!" Keebo claimed as Ms. Tojo rushed to the kitchen.

"Oi will y'all chill," I said nonchalantly. "I'm fine."

"You're finger is on fire! How is that fine?!" Shirogane screamed as she wagged her finger at me.

"Because I'm not being burned," I grabbed Miu by the hand and forced her hand to wrap around my finger. "Does it burn, Miu?"

"What the fuck is going on?!" Miu started to hyperventilate.

"Does it burn, Miu?" I repeated my question in a more serious tone.

"N-No, it doesn't," She whimpered. Getting the answer I wanted, I released my grip on her.

"So, that's how it's supposed to be lit," Shuichi tipped his hat, "Lambo, how did figure that out?"

"How? It wasn't anything special," I played with the ring on my finger. I came up with a lie on the spot. "I woke up in the midnight, and I couldn't go back to sleep. Sooo, I started thinking about what keeps me going, and the ring just combusted."

"It...just combusted?" Kaede said with a hint of disbelief.

"Yep, when I stopped thinking about my resolve, the flame went away." I shrugged.

"Yeah Kaede, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction," Kokichi snickered. "Riiiight Lambo?"

"...Yeah," I nodded along.  _Is... Kokichi onto me? He jumped to my aid rather fast._

"So, there was a twist to the truth after all," Kiyo hummed. "Monokuma's word cannot be taken without a grain of salt it seems."

* * *

MAKI'S POV

"I'm wounded." Monokuma dropped down from the ceiling and into the middle of the floor. "After all the trouble I went through to provide you all with the essentials."

"Hmph, what do you want?" Hoshi frowned at the sight of Monokuma.

"Such hostility," Monokuma whimpered. "Now if only you all would direct that to each other, then things would be more entertaining."

"We weren't born for your amusement," I stated. "I have better things to do than entertain the likes of you."

"Yet here you are under my rule little Miss Diaper Changer," Monokuma snickered. I felt my eye twitch with annoyance. "Don't be like that! After all, I came to deliver a message."

"A message?" Tojo asked as she picked up the finished plates around the room.

"Yes, after hearing how determined you all are about working together and leaving, I decided to reward you all to push you in the right direction." Monokuma patted his stomach. "Call it a motive if you will."

"A motive?" Saihara scratched his chin. "Why now? We already have a plan to escape."

"Ah yes, but wouldn't it be better if you all just be good little murderers and let the killings begin?" Monokuma was too cheerful about the subject for any sane person's liking. "I'm willing to go as far as foregoing the first class trial and letting the blackened walk straight out."

"I'm sorry...what?" K1-B0 blinked twice. "Does that not go directly against the rules?"

"I can do as I please you tin can," Monokuma sharpened his claws. "Think of it as a way to get the ball rolling. After all, you can't expect a baby to run without first teaching it to walk."

"Do not equate those two things as if they are similar!" K1-B0 screamed at the bear.

"Yeah, we're not about to play your sick and twisted game," Momota clenched his fists. "We're all going to escape together through the tunnel."

"Upupup!" Monokuma's giggled turn into an outright laughing fit. "Someone doesn't listen. I said only the rightful heirs can bare those rings. How long do you think it will take correctly guess the six other ring bearers?"

"There's eighteen of us, so we'll be out in no time!" Akamatsu smiled brightly.

"Upupup! It's that kind of optimism that almost got little Miss Witch frozen alive," Monokuma made a vulgar death signal to Yumeno. "There's only so much failure the human mind can take before it desires a win. And, what better way to satisfy that craving but with a nice bloody murder? And, you don't even have to go through a class trial. I'll be kind enough to hold the door open for you as you walk out."

"Will you cut it out?" Momota's face reddened in anger. "We're not playing your stupid games."

"Kaito's right. We're better than that." Akamatsu nodded along.

"The loudest tend to overshadow the silent ones," Monokuma's red eye glistened with evil intent.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Akamatsu stumbled a bit with her words.

"Although you and Kaito might say no one will kill, it doesn't mean everyone is thinking the same thing." Amami clarified with a playful grin.

"Stop messing around," Momota scoffed.

"Who said I was messing around," Amami glowered. "This motive is supposed to bring about the killing game. All it takes is one person to get the ball rolling."

"By allowing the first person to leave, some might come around to the idea," Tojo hummed. "Thus, we will begin to distrust each other because we already witness one murder. That is the purpose of this motive correct?"

"You know it's always the smartest ones that survive the longest." Monokuma chuckled. "Choose your victim wisely or you might become the victim yourself."

"So, whoever kills first is allowed to leave?" K1-B0 asked for clarification. "Monokuma, what happens if a murder occurs once we discovered a body?"

"Hey, whatcha asking that kind of question for?" Kaito folded his arms.

"It's better to be well versed in the rules than to be caught off guard," Amami answered.

"Interesting question my robo-pal!" Monokuma tried to sling his arm around K1-B0, but the Ultimate Robot backed away. "Aw, it's your loss. As for your question, this is a first come first serve kind of game. If one of you decides to kill someone once a murder has already occurred and we haven't had a class trial for the first body, then the second person can't graduate."

"Then if the first murder turns out to be a failure, we would have to go after the second murderer?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Now, you're getting the hang of it." Monokuma patted his stomach. "I don't reward or punish failures!"

"Ugh! There won't be any murderers because we're not playing your stupid game," Momota growled. "So, there's no point in talking about this crud!"

Stomping over to Monokuma, Momota grabbed the mechanical bear off of the table.

"Kaito, drop it!" Fon demanded. "Hurting Monokuma is against the rules!"

"I'm through playing his game!" Momota growled. Monokuma slumped over Kaito's grip as his eye slowly flashed.

"Rise and Shine ursine!" The Monokubs sprung into action and summoned their Exisal.

"We won't let you hurt father!" Monotaro proclaimed as they removed the safety from their guns.

" Go Himiko! Use Protect!" Oma shouted.

"Nyeh, I'm not a pokemon!" Yumeno started to sweat bullets.

"Kaito!" Akamatsu screamed as Shuichi and K1-B0 pulled her and Iruma behind the tipped over table.

Tojo and Gokuhara kicked the other two tables onto their sides and used them as a barrier.  _Why is Monokuma's eye flashing? Unless..._

"Get rid of Monokuma," Fon leaped over the table and kicked Momota's hand as Exisals unleashed a torrent of bullets in their direction. Monokuma's detonating body landed underneath the yellow Exisal. In a split second, Fon was able to use the cloud of dust and smoke as a cover as she led him over to my barrier. Monokuma exploded underneath the Exisal and reduced the weapon to rubble.

"Wh-Wh-What the hell?" Momota started to breathe heavily. Once the Exisals were out of bullets, the remaining four jumped out of their weapons.

"Daddy!" Monophanie puked once she saw the rubble.

"Father!" Monotaro wailed loudly.

"..." Monodam stared at the wreckage quietly.

"Dammit Monodam, this is all your fault!" Monokid broke another guitar.

"I-I'll always remember you, father," Monotaro wiped his eyes.

"Wait...there's no backup?" Shirogane tilted her head.

"Father always said to value your life because you only get one shot!" Monotaro said in between the tears.

"Holy shit, he committed suicide?!" Iruma gasped. "What kind of shitty person only has one copy?!"

"I guess Monokuma didn't anticipate us revolting against him," Hoshi shrugged. "Thanks to I-pin's skill, no one had to die."

"Ye-Yeah," Chabashira nodded weakly as we all noticed a smell in the air.

"Charming...are you okay?" Bovino kneeled next to her.

"Ye-Yeah, I should be fine." Fon winced as she gripped her arm. "I must be a bit rusty. I didn't think I would get grazed by a bullet."

"Damn it Kaito!" Bovino narrowed his eyes as he gripped Kaito by his collar. "You got I-pin hurt. Give me one reason not to knock your lights out."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Momota flinched.

"Lambo, please put Kaito down. I'll survive; I just to disinfect the wound." Fon put on a brave face. "Kirumi can you help me? I don't think I can reach it."

"Gladly, I shall get a first aid kit from the storage room." Tojo bowed before excusing herself. "I will meet you in your dorm."

"I'll walk you there Charming," Bovino dropped Momota and offer his hand to Fon.

"Soooo, I guess this means the killing game is canceled," Oma giggled. "All's well that end wells."

"Rather anti-climatic, but I guess that's for the best," Amami glanced back at the wreckage. "But, should we be worried about the remaining Monokubs?"

"They are Monokuma's children," Shunguji thought for a moment. "For now, we should leave them alone. Without proper a leader, I doubt they can do much."

"Now, I can focus on charging my magic." Yumeno weakly smiled.

"I guess now we can plainly focus on finding a way to unlock the other flames," Shirgone straightened the helm of her dress.

"Nyahaha! Atua foresee bright days ahead of us!" Yongana cheered.

"...Is it really over?" Saihara questioned as he rubbed the bottom of his chin. "Is really that simple?"

"What are you talking about?" I folded my arms.

"Huh?" It was only now that he realized that all eyes were on him. "N-Nothing, I didn't know that I was thinking out loud."

"You don't believe this over, huh?" Hoshi sighed deeply. "I guess a detective would be skeptical of the easy way out."

"Sorry," Saihara rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.  _Saihara has a point...Monokuma was able to do so much, yet he only had one spare?_

"It's nothing worth apologizing for Shuichi," Kaede patted him on the back. "Come on, I know a great instrumental that will cheer you up."

"I believe this is the best time to close the meeting," Amami suggested.

"Come on Himiko, I'll show you the new move I've been working on!" Chabashira grabbed Yumeno by the arm and dragged her off to the gym most likely. Sighing, I went through the back exit and went straight to my room.  _I guess the First Blood Motive is off the Monokuma, there's no one to uphold that promise. That's unfortunate, but either way, I'm getting out of here in a matter of days. It's probably for the best._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I cleared up the Kaede bashing.


	8. What Does the Forecast Predict Part 3!

I _don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts= Italics_

* * *

_Last time with Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Child Caretaker..._

_"Huh?" It was only now that he realized that all eyes were on him. "N-Nothing, I didn't know that I was thinking out loud."_

_"You don't believe this over, huh?" Hoshi sighed deeply. "I guess a detective would be skeptical of the easy way out."_

_"Sorry," Saihara rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. Saihara has a point...Monokuma was able to do so much, yet he only had one spare?_

_"It's nothing worth apologizing for Shuichi," Kaede patted him on the back. "Come on, I know a great instrumental that will cheer you up."_

_"I believe this is probably the best time to close the meeting," Amami suggested._

_"Come on Himiko, I'll show you the new move I've been working on!" Chabashira grabbed Yumeno by the arm and dragged her off to the gym most likely. Sighing, I went through the back exit and went straight to my room. I guess the First Blood Motive is off the Monokuma, there's no one to uphold that promise. That's unfortunate, but either way, I'm getting out of here in a matter of days. It's probably for the best._

* * *

This time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod...

"Are you sure you don't want me to stick around, Charming?" I asked as she pushed me out of the room.

"I'll be fine. Kirumi's only bandaging my arm not doing an open heart surgery." I-pin attempted to reassure me. With one final push, I stumbled into the hallway. "Once I finish, then, I'll meet you in your lab."

"Fine," I muttered as she smiled. I walked away from the door while she locked herself in with Kirumi and Maki. "I might as well throw those weapons away since I have the time,"

I folded my arms in annoyance as I made my down to the basement of the school building.  _This whole situation is a pain. Not only has Monokuma forced us into a kill game, but now the Vongola rings are involved. When will this maddest end? What's next? The Simon Family is trapped here too?_

"To top it all off, complete strangers have to become the new Guardians." I groaned to myself. I got to the main hall on the ground floor and saw Gonta searching through the patches of grasses. "Giant, what are you doing?"

"Oh, Lambo!" Gonta exclaimed with a bright smile. "Gonta was looking for bug friends!"

"Bug friends?" I thought for a moment before it dawned on me. "That's right. You're the Ultimate Entomologist which doesn't make much sense when I think about it."

"Why that?" Gonta shifted his weight from one foot to another as he waited patiently for an answer.

"Giant, you're one the strongest guys here, but you want to look at bugs?" I sweatdropped. "I don't know. I figured you would be more physical with your talent."

"Gonta still no see problem," Gonta crossed his arms.

"Why are you the Ultimate Entomologist?" I simplified my question.  _Geez, Gonta's nice and all, but it's hard to hold a conservation with him. His speech is broke as hell._

"Oh, Gonta learn a lot from forest family," Gonta exclaimed nonchalantly as if that was normal. "Gonta raised by reptiles."

_Gonta doesn't seem like the type to lie._

_Are you willing to hear more about his past?_

**_Let's hear him out/_ ** _What's Kokichi up to?_

"Okay, I'll bite. So reptiles in a forest raised you?" I arched an eyebrow. While the idea of Gonta being raised in a forest didn't sound completely far-fetched, the reptile part confused me.  _I thought reptiles lived in the deserts._

"Yes! Gonta got lost one day while playing in the forest." Gonta frowned at the memory. "Gonta would have died had not for Dinosaur people."

I might have visibly flinched at the word 'dinosaur'. In my defense, I was scared by the final fight in the Future.  _Only Reborn would_ _send a five-year-old out to fight velociraptors!_

"Is Lambo okay?" Gonta paused when he realized that I show a hint of fear.

"Yeah...I just have a bad experience with dinosaurs," I shook my head and shoved my hands into my pockets.

"Lambo meet Dinosaur people?!" Gonta's eye widened with excitement. I opened my mouth before I closed it.  _Gonta probably wouldn't understand time travel even if I explained it._

"...No...I rather not talk about," I sighed. Gonta lowered his head as his eyes started to water. "What's wrong, Giant?"

"Gonta sorry. Gonta made Lambo feel sad." Gonta whimpered. "Gonta no gentleman."

"What?" I folded my arms as I tried to think about how those two things connected. "That's right. You said something about being the perfect gentlemen."

"Yes! Gonta want to be perfect gentleman!" The Ultimate Entomologist said with determination. "So, Gonta nice to everyone and protect friends!"

"Protects friends, huh?" I paused for a moment.  _Protect friends?_ _That's definitely something that Ryohei would focus on._ I shook my head again.  _But, Gonta's too nice for the mafia life._

"Gonta say something wrong again?" Gonta frowned.  _I can only imagine the beating he gives himself when someone frowns._

"Giant, you're fine. I'm justing thinking about the rings." I explained.

"That right! Rings must be lit so we can leave," He remembered as he scratched his chin. "Gonta help in any way he can. Lambo tells Gonta what he needs to do, and Gonta will help!"

"Actually," I fished out the Sun ring.  _It's worth trying, but I doubt it will fit on his fingers. They're too meaty, and the ring is too small._ "Hold this Gonta for a second. I want you to close your hand but don't crush it."

"Okay," With a carefree smile, Gonta lightly gripped the ring. "What now?"

"I want you to think about your resolve," I instructed.

"What is a resolve?" Gonta asked with a blank face.  _This will never work at this rate._

"It is like a commitment or promise to yourself," I explained as I folded my arms against my chest. "Like being a gentleman."

"Oh, Gonta understands," The Ultimate Entomologist exclaimed as he closed his eyes.

"Okay, now focus on the idea of being the perfect gentleman," I said as I stared at his hand. "But, do not crush that ring."

"Perfect gentlemen...perfect gentlemen..." Gonta chanted softly. I narrowed my eyes as I waited for some kind of signal.  _Gonta already has a resolves, so that part is easy. But, bringing it out is the-_ I watched a yellow ember flicker out of his hand.  _There's a fire! There's a fire!_ As the minutes passed, I watched his flame grow large enough that I saw it consume his hand.

"Keep going Gonta. You're doing amazing!" I exclaimed.

"Ha! That's what she said!" Mui's outburst broke Gonta's concentration and extinguished the flame. I felt my left eye twitch.  _God-fucking-dammnit! I'm going to kill Miu!_

"Miu...what are doing here..." I clenched my fist as a way to control my anger. "We're in the middle of something."

"You better be glad that the Miu Iruma graced your pathetic lives!" Mui boasted with her hands on her hips.

"Shouldn't you be, I don't know, working on the flamethrowers!" I snapped at the girl.

"Hieeh! We-Well I ne-needed some lighting fluid, so I was gonna check the storage." Mui whimpered as her hair wrinkled.

"Was Gonta doing good," Gonta asked and got both of our attention.

"Yeah, let's try this against," I said and gave Miu a quick glare. "Without any interruptions this time."

"Go-Got it," Miu weakly nodded.

Focusing once again, Gonta began his chant. His flame grew back it original size this.  _He's getting used to releasing his flame. I didn't think it would be this easy._  Miu's jaws dropped, and I had to glare at her to keep her from screaming again.  _Duly noted, control Miu with fear and intimidation._ Once his flame about the size of his palm, Gonta opened his fist to show off the nondamaged ring.  _Phew, he can control his strength after all._ I watched as a piece of his flame jumped to the floor and revealed a male figure.  _Wait, what?_

There stood Ryohei Sasagawa when he was twenty-five years old and not a day older.

"Wh-Wh-What the actual fuck?" Miu shrieked. "That flaming cumshot grew into a fucking person!"

"Please don't ever use that phrase again." I rubbed my temples.

_"Oi, what's your name to the extreme?" Ryohei folded his arms as he wore usual smirk._

"Gonta is Gonta Gokuhara! Gonta is the Ultimate Entomologist!" Gonta exclaimed with a smile.

_"Gonta huh? I need you to do an extreme favor for me." Ryohei asked in a serious tone._

"Favor? Gonta do his best to help!" Gonta was unfazed by the fact that a possible ghost was in front of the three of us.

_"Imma need ya to protect your friends and family to the extreme!" Ryohei exclaimed as he punched his fist together. "Put your body on the line if you gotta! Shine as bright you can then push yourself to the extreme so you can shine brighter!"_

"Gonta no know a way to shine." He frowned.

"Just keep everyone smiling and happy," I simplified Turfhead's request.  _I'm surprised Ryohei could be metaphorical. He's usually more straightforward with everything. Oh well, Tsuna or Reborn probably told him to say that crap. Grinning like the idiot he is, Ryohei's flame dimmed until it flickered away._ "Welcome to the family, Gonta."

"So Tarzan was meant to have the Sun ring," Miu huffed. "At least, it wasn't that fucking dipshit Kaito."

"Gonta do his best to protect his friends and family," Gonta said with determination in his voice.

"I guess we should get a chain for you, Gonta," I shrugged.

"What the hell does he need a chain for?" Miu placed a hand on her hip.

"The ring is too small for his fingers. He needs some kind of necklace, so he won't lose it." I explained with a hint of annoyance in my voice.

"I-I knew that. I asked for Gonta. That's all." Mui brushed it off with an excuse.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes before I started to walk away. "Come on, we're burning daylight. The three of us got to find a necklace and some lighting fluid before Nighttime."

"Coming," Gonta exclaimed before he followed behind me.

"Wa-Wait up," Mui growled, but, nonetheless, she matched our pace.

_Friendship Fragment obtained!_

_Gonta Gokuhara and Lambo Bovino's bond reached level 2 out of 5!_

* * *

MAKI'S POV

 _I have three days to kill._ I sighed as climbed down the stairs that led to the basement.  _It's better if I don't get too attached to anyone here. Too severe the ties... the orphanage is the only family I need..._

"There's nothing here for me anyways," I whispered underneath my breath. I looked around the small hallway before I placed my palm on the door of the library. Cracking the entrance, I paused when I heard two voices conversing. Staring the crack of the door, Saihara and Akamatsu were standing before a black and white door against the back wall. "Hmm?"

"WOW, it opened." Akamatsu exclaimed as she took a step back.  _So, there was a door behind the bookcase._

"Kaede please...not so loud," Saihara groaned. He turned his back to her for a moment and examined the door. "I found this yesterday when we all separated. I am almost certain that this door is connected to Monokuma."

"That's amazing Shuichi. I knew you could be a real detective." Akamatsu giggled a little.

"It's really nothing," Saihara said bashfully. Hiding underneath his hat, he continued. "Do you see that scanner? I think that's the way into whatever is behind this door."

"Why would this be here?" Akamatsu hummed as she thought hard on the subject.

"Unless someone here is the mastermind," Saihara's eye hardened for a moment. "It's only a theory, but I believe that a mastermind could exist. This door could have built so the mastermind can enter and leave as they pleased."

"Yeah, but it can't be one of our friends...right?" Akamatsu nervously looked around. "We're all supposed to be working together to get out of here."

"Logically speaking, someone has to be the mastermind or at the very least helping Monokuma. Why else would this door exist?" Saihara countered. "Whoever is pulling the strings could've shut themselves away in that room. I'm sorry to say that, but it might be our reality."

"Someone...from our group?" Kaede clenched her fist. She finally allowed the idea of a traitor to enter her mind.  _So if what that detective boy is true, then I could kill them and escape. I would be killing two birds with one stone. Ending this stupid game and escaping. Yet, Monokuma's gone, so there's no way to claim that perk._ "

"It's only a theory, so the chance of me being wrong is there," Saihara reassured her.  _He's skeptical of everyone. But does that include Kaede?_

"For a girl, he knew for a matter of days, he's willing to share this much information with her," I frowned. Then, the realization hit me. Closing the door as quietly as possible, I backed away from the library's entrance. "Could Saihara be the mastermind?"

"Maki?" I turned to the stairs. Making her way down with a bandaged arm, Fon smiled once we made eye contact. "I didn't think we would run into each other down here."

_I-pin Fon wants to start a conversation._

_Do you want to go along with it?_

**_Might as well/_ ** _Ignore her_

"You're chipper for someone who got shot in the arm," I said disgruntledly.

"I can't let a wound keep me from my studies," Fon smiled softly. "I might be a martial artist, but I still want to go to college."

"I never took you as the scholarly type," I sweatdropped.

"Even though I don't train that often, people still recognize me for my skills." Fon chuckled while she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "I guess we're not so different then."

"We're not the same," I glowered.

"Think about it Maki," The Ultimate Martial Artist's expression softened. "You dislike children, yet you can't deny that those children got you where you are today."

"...Why are you talking as if you know me?" I shifted my footing a tad.

"So talking about your talent is still a sore spot huh?" Fon sweatdropped. Rolling her jaw, the Chinese woman continued. "Okay, do you mind if I ask why you're standing outside the library?"

"I wanted to get some books to the room, so I have something to do for next three days." I eyed her.

"And you still want to say we're not the same," Fon stiffed a laugh. "Okay, that one was in bad taste. How about we just get our books?"

"Saihara and Akamatsu are investigating some secret door," I tightened the scrunches in my hair. "Apparently, Akamatsu's the only one Saihara trusted enough to show this door to."

"As in a hidden door," I-pin questioned. I nodded my head once. Weighing the options, Fon turned to face me. "Interesting, we should investigate it ourselves once they leave."

"Why did you say 'we'? I want no part of this." I groaned.  _I should've walked away when I had the chance. Besides, I can hear their footsteps coming towards this door._

"That's a lie if I ever heard one," Fon sighed. Her eyes widened marginally. "They're leaving. Come on, we'll hide in Lambo's lab."

Before I could get a word out, the twin ponytailed woman forced me into the Lab.  _How enhanced is her hearing? Should a martial artist's hearing be that sensitive?_ I straightened out my sleeve.  _I should've broken her arm._

"So what exactly is the purpose of us investigating the door?" I grunted. "Saihara's the Ultimate Detective, so he should be the one who should handling this kind of stuff."

"Yes, but you said it yourself. Shuichi only showed Kaede the door." I-pin examined the grenades laying on the desk. "Why only her?"

"Well, Saihara believed that someone was the mastermind, so that's probably why he only showed it to Akamatsu," I scratched my scalp. "If he showed everyone, then the mastermind might kill him in order to keep Saihara from discovering anything else."

"So, by only telling Kaede, he's lowering his chances of dying," I-pin juggled a grenade in her hand. "But, Shuichi already has a target on his back because of his title. If the killing game was still going on, then a killer would have to take out Shuichi, so they could stand a chance in the class trial."

"But with the First Kill motive, whoever strikes first automatically graduates." I leaned against the wall. "Therefore, everyone's worth the same. Also, there's the possibility of Monokuma coming back before we can escape."

"That's what I'm afraid of. If Shuichi's right, then we need to find the mastermind, but who could it be?" I-pin rolled her jaw. Her posture tightened as she tried to think of a possible suspect. "No one has been suspicious. Who would gain from this situation?"

"Fon, you're thinking about from the wrong angle. Whoever is behind this clearly hiding their true self." I sighed.  _Do I have to do all the thinking?_ "That door must lead to something, so how about we get some people to stake out the door tonight? Whoever enters the library tonight is a suspect."

"That's brilliant Maki," The Ultimate exclaimed. "The two of us can do it tonight."

"I never volunteered." I frowned.

"Think about it Maki, we're roommates, so we don't have to worry about alarming anyone else with our activities. As long as the two of us keep this between ourselves, no one else should have a reason to come check on us." Fon's eyes flickered with determination. "So, how about it? Want to bring down the mastermind with me?"

"You'll drag me along even if I say no," I stated. Walking to the door, I said one last thing. "Go to the kitchen and make some coffee, this will be a long night. I'll find some thermos."

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't your first stakeout," I-pin sweatdropped.

_Friendship Fragment obtained!_

_I-pin Fon and Maki Harukawa's bond reached level 2 out of 5!_

* * *

LAMBO'S POV

"Are you sure can carry all that, giant?" I cocked my eyebrow. In the span of thirty minutes, Miu piled two gallons worth of lighting fluid onto Gonta's shoulders.

"Leave the big lug alone," Miu rolled her eyes. She swung the steel chain around her finger in a carefree manner. "Those are real muscles. Not your average jerk one off muscles!"

"Miu don't use that kind of language around Gonta," I sweatdropped.  _Gonta's gonna be corrupted by the time we leave here._

"Gonta alright. Thank you though Lambo!" Gonta beamed a smiled as the metal kegs rested on his shoulders.

"See there's nothing to worry about. Now get off your panties out of your ass!" Miu blew a raspberry in my direction.

"You're more trouble than you're worth," I clapped back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ms. Tojo enter the dining hall. "I'll see y'all later. I just remembered something."

"Whatever," Miu dismissed me with a wave. "Come on Tarzan! We're going all the way tonight."

"Okay!" Gonta's innocence was just radiating off that response.  _Note to self: Make sure Miu doesn't rape Gonta._

I shook my head one last time before I entered the dining hall. I found the Ultimate Maid cutting up some vegetables for a salad. I locked the kitchen door once the two of us were alone.

"We need to take Ms. Tojo," I leaned against the wall.

"Lambo, if you can, please refrain from calling me, Ms. Tojo. We are the same age." Kirumi sighed as she laid down the knife. "Now, what is your request?"

_Kirumi Tojo is offering her time._

_Should you take it?_

**_This is important/_ ** _Nah, find something else to do_

"Do you remember being employed by my brother, Tsunayoshi Sawada?" I preferred to make this blunt. There was no need to beat around the bush with Kirumi.

"The Neo Vongola Primo? I do recall serving your family for a brief period of time." Kirumi recollected. "If you are worried that I may speak of my service for your family, I can reassure you that I do not speak of past employers."

"While that is indeed reassuring," I chuckled a bit. "I wanted to know how much you remember."

"I see. From what I can recall, the Vongola rings and the rings we need to escape are one in the same given their shape and size." Kirumi answered before pausing again. "Also, the family consisted of Tsunayoshi Sawada, Ryohei Sasagawa, Yamamoto Takeshi, Gokudera Hayato, Chrome Dokuro, Hibari Kyoya, and yourself as the ring bearers. I-pin, Bianchi, Haru, Kyoko, and Reborn were also close members."

"Your memory is impeccable Kirumi," I let out a reassuring sigh. It's nice to know that she's on top of all of this too. "I'm getting you already know that I'm apart of the mafia, and I-pin's an assassin."

"Unfortunately, I do recall that bit of information. I assume that you two will keep that from the rest." Kirumi undid the apron around her waist. The light green hair woman realized that she wasn't going to get anything done in the near future.

"Yeah, I-pin doesn't want to raise any alarm." I rustled a patch of my hair. It's a bit deceiving, but we gotta do it. "It makes it worse that we might drag some good people into the mafia. Gonta's too innocent to be a member of the Vongola."

"Gonta Gokuhara? While I agree he is a gentle soul, I do not understand why he would be at risk." Kirumi tilted her head to the side. "Unless...You gave Gonta a ring?"

"Lambo gave him Ryohei's ring. He's the Sun guardian now, but I regret giving him the ring." I groaned. "With the way Ryohei was talking, Gonta might be the permanent one."

"Ryohei Sasagawa is here?" Kirumi raised a finger to her chin. "How is that possible?"

I had to shake my head. That was the farthest thing from the truth. "His physical body isn't here. It's more like he sealed a part of his flame in the ring, so when someone lit the ring, he could give one last message. I'm assuming the rest will do that same as more dying wills are awakened."

"Do you have anyone, in particular, you wish to enlist as a guardian?" Kirumi asked as she wiped down the stove. "If you request, I can compose a list of suitable ring bearers among the eighteen of us."

"Yeah..., but can I add one detail to that list," I wouldn't put it pass Kirumi to stay up all night, so she could work on it.

"What is it?" Kirumi smiled before turning back to her duties.

"Can you find a suitable Lightning Guardian as well?" I closed my eyes. "Think of it as a security measure, whoever lost us in here wiped out the entire Vongola family, but I-pin and myself. They might try to find a way to finish the job."

"So you believe your life is in danger as well as I-pin's?" Kirumi paused for a moment before continuing her work. "That is understandable. The warden of this prison appears to well stock when it comes to resources."

 _It's depressing, but I know that I'm not invisible. As the lightning guardian, I need make sure the Vongola name lives on._ "Sorry for putting all of this on your plate, but the family must live on. It's bigger than the two of us."

"Tsuna and Reborn would be proud," The Ultimate Maid moved my hair out of the way of my eye. "As long as I am living, I will help secure the Vongola's future."

"A dutiful maid as always," I chuckled.

_Friendship Fragment obtained!_

_Kirumi Tojo and Lambo Bovino's bond reached level 2 out of 5!_

I heard the deadlock in the kitchen door shift, but the door refused to open.  _That's right. I locked the door._ Undoing the lock, I found I-pin on the other side. "You know. We gotta stop meeting like this. What? Is this the second time today?"

"Lambo, just let me in. I need to make some coffee." I-pin rolled her eyes. Backing away from the door, I allowed her in. My Chinese Beauty took about two steps into the kitchen before she saw Kirumi. "Oh Kirumi, it's nice to see you."

"As to you, do you wish for me to make the coffee?" Kirumi offered.

Shaking her head as a no, I-pin turned on the machine. "It's fine. I don't want to burden you with something like this."

"Charming," I held my hand to mouth. "You don't drink coffee. Why are you making it?"

"...Maki and I were planning on staying up tonight," I-pin visibly paused before continuing her prepping.

"You were never the best liar," It slipped out, to be honest. "I-pin, what are you doing?"

"Lambo, you know that I care about you. I'll explain everything in the morning... just promise me that you won't leave your room," I-pin gripped the countertop, almost breaking it in the process.

Sighing, it's fine. I'll have my secrets, and she'll have her secret.

"Just don't raise too many death flags will you?" I playfully groaned. "I don't want to be the one to explain your death to Fon and the others."

"There's no need to worry," She punched my shoulder. "I'm the Ultimate Martial Artist. There's only a handful of people that overpower me."

"I caution you from underestimating our captor," Kirumi lowered her head.

"If worse comes, then I send Maki to get help." I-pin submitted to out worries. "Just promises me that neither of you will come to the library tonight."

"Yeah yeah, I won't. I'll probably spend the night helping Miu and Gonta," I folded my arms. "Someone gotta keep Miu from raping the dude."

"I'll return to my quarters per your request." Kirumi bowed.

"Now that's out of the way," I-pin composed herself. "What were you two doing in here?"

"Nyeh, I asked Kirumi to make a list of potential candidate for each ring," I answered with a bored expression. "Oh yeah, Gonta has the Sun ring."

"He was one of the original candidates..." She whispered to herself. The coffee pot rang to signal the brewing was finished. Pouring the coffee into a portable container, I-pin exited the room. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Have fun," I shrugged. Kirumi and I left through the back door. The two of us parted way at the dorms. She made her way into her dorm while I made a pit shop at Mui's Ultimate Lab. Not waiting for her to answer, I opened the door and found Miu pressing her chest against a blushing mess named Gonta Gokuhara.

This is gonna be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I thought I would try 3 Free Time Event this time around. Hope you all enjoyed the progress I'm making.


	9. What Does the Forecast Predict Part 4!

I _don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts/Flames Speaking= Italics_

* * *

This time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod...

With the Monokub's announcement blaring, I realized that Nighttime had come to pass. I glanced over at Shuichi's sleeping figure before I got out of bed. He had no clue what kind of headache Miu gave me last night. I had to call it quits after midnight, and there was no way I was gonna leave Gonta with the Ultimate Inventor. I got my clothes out the dresser by my bed and entered the bathroom. I tossed my dirty clothes into the bin the two of us shared and stepped into the shower. I closed the glass door and started to adjust the water to perfection.

_Ten Minutes Later..._

I turned off the water and started to dry myself off with my towel. I managed to get dressed, but I couldn't do much with my hair without hogging the bathroom for another hour or so.  _This is why I take showers at night. I guess I'll do what Stupidera does._ I pulled most of my hair back and used a hairband to keep it in place. While this was temporary, I closed one of my eyes out of habit. I was used to seeing out of one eye after all. I tossed the towel over my shoulder and exited the bathroom.

Shuichi woke up and was sitting on the edge of his bed with his hat in his grasp.

"The bathroom's open Shuichi," I stated while I gathered the last two rings from underneath my pillow.

"Huh? Oh, I took one last night." Shuichi shot me a glance before returning to his gaze to his hat.

"Aren't you gonna put it on, or is today the day give up that hat?" I shot him a bored look.

Retorting with a dark glare, Shuichi answered. "Don't make fun of my hat."

"Oh that's a new one," I cocked my eyebrow. Noticing that Shuichi's facial expression hadn't changed, I shifted to a different approach. "Alright, we should meet up with the others. Kirumi's making breakfast today."

"...Okay," Shuichi lifted himself from the bed and placed his baseball cap on his head. The two of us made it out the dorm hall before The Ultimate Maid saw me.

"Ah, Lambo and Shuichi!" The light green haired woman smiled as she approached us. Revealing a folded sheet of paper, "I completed the list you requested. I took into consideration a potential balance between the requirements for each ring."

"Thank you Kirumi, I'll take a close look at it after breakfast." I took a moment to appreciate the dedication Kirumi has towards her duties. Stifling a laugh, a thought crossed my mind.  _If Kirumi was a bit more feisty, she would make a damn good replacement for Gokudera._

"You asked Kirumi to make a list?" Shuichi pondered on the paper. "Is that why I didn't see you last night?"

"Last night? Oh, Gonta and I were helping Miu with the flamethrowers." Lambo took a mental note. Stuffing sheet into my back pocket, I continued. "The paper is for the rings. I asked Kirumi to compile a list of potential candidates."

"Then, does that mean you took responsibility for finding the right ring bearers?" Shuichi straightened his hat.

"Might as well," I shrugged as the two of entered the dining room through the back entrance. "Someone has to assemble them. My talent isn't much help, but I still gotta contribute to the group."

_Or Charming will nag me until I do._

I looked around the room and saw almost everyone was accounted for except Maki and Charming.  _Where the fuck are you I-pin? I'm actually getting worried._ Holding in my doubts, I followed Shuichi to the open table that only had Kaede and Kaito occupying the space. I kept to myself as those three conversed; I was still pissed at Kaito for that stunt yesterday. Besides the slight urge to slam my fist into the astronaut and my urge to go look for I-pin, I was relatively calm.

"I-pin and Maki are still unaccounted for," Kiiboy noted.

"The map says they're still in the dorms," Kaede said worriedly before she shook her head. "I'm sure they're just running late."

"Perhaps someone should check on them for security measures," The Ultimate Robot folded his arms together.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Rantaro sighed. "Without Monokuma wandering around, there's no reason to harm those two girls."

"And thus the killing game began once again," Kokichi announced with too much glee.

"I will fight any degenerate male that decided to lay a finger on FI-pin or Maki," Tenko cracked her fingers.

"Hold on, how do you know it's a guy?" Kaito gritted his teeth.

"Because of the universal fact: only degenerate males commit crimes." Tenko smugly stated.

"Imma commit a crime if I-pin gets hurt again because of someone else." I frowned.

"This could be solved by checking on them," Hoshi huffed in annoyance. "I'll go if that's too much trouble."

With the double door busting open, Maki came in slightly out of breath. "There's no need. I-pin and I are fine."

"Okay, Angie sees Maki's in one piece, but where is I-pin?" Angie poked her cheek in curiosity.

"She still needed to take a shower," Maki said dismissingly as she sat down at my table. "Not wanting to make anyone to worry, Fon told me to go ahead of her."

"You know if I-pin's dead, you're the first suspect," Kokichi snickered mischievously.

"Is everyone here?" Maki asked.

"Everyone's accounted for except I-pin," Kiiboy stated.

"Then there's nothing for me to worry about," Maki said before taking the first bite of her breakfast. "Fon will be here in the next five minutes."

"Kiiboy, let's use that automatic clock in your chest as a timer," Kokichi suggested with a carefree grin. "We'll finally be putting you to good use. Isn't that great?"

"I have a recording device which I will present in court when I sue you for your robophobic comment." Keebo snapped.

"Lemme upgrade your ass when I'm done with the flamethrowers!" Miu exclaimed with a hand on her hip. "I can give you a shit ton of useful functions."

"Um Miu," Shirogane said worriedly. "Define useful for us."

"Photographic memory! Turn one of his memories into an actual fucking photo!" Miu exclaimed with a slight blush on her face. "A power saving mode for emergencies! By the time I'm done, Keebo will be the ahead of the game!"

"That's...surprisingly useful." Shirogane gawked. Waving her hand in the air, Shirogane blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry Miu, I thought you would suggest something perverted like a dildo."

"Do not apologize," Keebo said in a monotone way. "Miu made that offer in the privacy of our room on the first night. I rejected it, of course, after several hours of Miu begging."

"There's the Miu we know," I snickered.

"Oh, fuck off Limpo!" The Ultimate Inventor threw up the bird at me.

"Lambo please," My Chinese beauty sighed as she entered the dining hall. Her damp hair was tied into one long black ponytail with one of Maki's scrunchies. "It's too early in the morning to be antagonizing Miu. Sorry, everyone, I didn't mean to be so late."

"You're fine." Rantaro was the first to comfort her. The Ultimate Mystery rose to his feet. "Now that everyone's present, I have a rather strange question. It's fine if no one has the answer. I'm only curious."

"What is it Rantaro?" Kirumi asked as she placed Charming's plate on the table.

"Does Hope's Peak Academy ring any bells?" The green haired mystery scratched the base of his chin. "Headmasters Sawada and Kozato?"

_Note to self: Confront Rantaro Amami. If my hunch is right, then he's referring to Tsuna and Enma._

"I cannot say that I have," Kirumi shook her head.

"Never heard of a school named that," Ryoma grunted. "Is it based in Japan or is it a foreign school?"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Rantaro quickly apologized. "It was apart of a program I did before I came here."

"Oh yeah, how's the progress on those rings?" Kaede suddenly asked.

"I got two down so far," I stated. "I would have gotten three, but Miu needed some help with flamethrowers. So, that would leave four left to light."

"Lambo, you mean five rings are left," Shuichi corrected me. "There are seven rings in total."

"My bad,"  _If my theory is correct, then we'll need the six guardians to melt the ice, but we'll need all seven to leave._ "I have the Lightning ring, and Gonta has the Sun ring."

"But Gonta's talent isn't connected to the ring," Tenko objected.

"Yeah, that's true and all, but he activated the ring. Sooo, he's the rightful owner." I shrugged. "I learned something from Gonta yesterday though."

"What that?" Giant asked with a blank face.

"This is based on personality and not talent," I answered.

* * *

MAKI'S POV

I quietly listened as everyone kept talking about those rings. I had nothing to contribute because I frankly did not care about them.  _They're nothing more than a means of escape._ Thankfully, Bovino hasn't confronted me about wearing one, since I would probably throw the ring away, the first chance I get.

I looked around the room out of boredom and noticed a glowing card on the ground. Before I could react, a blinding light consumed the dining hall and everyone inside. The eighteen of us let out a clustered of unexpecting screams as we waited for the light to die down. Standing in the center of the room, Monokuma held the card in his paw.

"...What?" Oma's face paled at the sight.

"Che cazzo," Bovino groaned as he dragged his hand down his face. "Non credo voglia che tu inizi da lì."

"M-Monokuma?" Akamatsu gasped. "Wh-What are you doing here? We all saw you explode!"

"Yeah, you fucking self-destructed like a dumbass!" Miu growled. "Stay fucking dead!"

"That's why you always carry a Monster Reborn in case of emergency," Monokuma said gleefully. "Unlike humans, I can come back under multiple circumstances."

"No matter how many time we kill you, you'll always find another gimmick to revive yourself." I frowned.

"Isn't it amazing?" Monokuma smiled.

"N-No, that's impossible." Fon stuttered as she covered her mouth. "I-"

"It's fine Fon," I sighed. I continued eating my food.  _I understand where Fon is coming from. We stayed up all night and guarded that door with our lives. However, no one came in. So, if that door isn't the way to Monokuma's lair, what is its_ _purpose?_ "You did everything you possibly could have done. This one was out of our hands."

"How can you be calm about this?" Momota growled out of anger. "The killing game started again!"

 _Because all I have to do is kill Saihara, then I can leave. For me, that's considered merciful for the rest of y'all._ "Because we will all be out of here in two days. Can't you tolerate him for that long?"

"I'm glad you brought that up," Monokuma showed off his claws. "Since the group as a whole decided to rejoice in my death, I decided to play another motive!"

"Then, the freebie motive is canceled?" Amami sighed. "Pity, it had potential."

"Will you knock it off?!" Momota snarled.

"Fine, fine," Amami backed down and watched the event unfold.

"Monokuma what is it now?" Saihara asked.

"How about we call deem this motive: Doomsday?" Monokuma's claws glistened in the light. "Since you all decide everything as a group, you all can die as a group! Upupup! If I don't get a corpse in the next three days, then I'll unleash a wave of Monokumas to purge this academy. Don't worry, the Get Out of Class motive is still active as well! Call it my gift to a cold blood killer! Upupup!"

"It looks like Saihara got what he wanted," I said underneath my breath. "A mystery."

"Monokuma, are you aware it will only take us two days for us to escape?" Shunguji pondered out loud.

"He's confident that we'll fail," Hoshi grunted. "So, it takes one body to save seventeen in the worst case scenario?"

"Aren't I merciful headmaster?" Monokuma patted his stomach before he wandered out the front door. "I'll be on my merry way."

"It seems we all have a decision to make," Amami said with his hands on his hips. "What we decided to do in the next three days will either make or break us."

"That should be enough for today," Saihara rose from his seat. "Thank you for the meal Kirumi."

"Um, I'll come with you, Shuichi," Akamatsu quickly scarfed down the remainder on her plate before she followed the detective out. "Thank you for the meal!"

"Welp, indecision is the thief of opportunity," Momota brushed the crumbs off his clothes. "Imma stop Monokuma with my master plan, and no one's gonna die on my watch!"

"Peace bitches!" Iruma threw up the peace sign as she walked out the back door. "I'll be in my lab saving your asses with my inventions!"

"Nyeh, I need a nap," Yumeno whined. "My magic needs to charge."

"I carry you, so you don't have waste any walking," Chabashira offered. "Come on!"

"What Gonta do..." Gokuhara pondered. In one motion, Bovino rose from his seat and approached the large man.

"You're will me today Giant," Bovino patted Gokuhara on the back as he passed his friend. "We're off to find another ring guardian. Seeeya later."

One by one, everyone found an excuse to leave the dining hall. Fon joined Tojo on cleaning duty. Yongana, K1-B0, and Shirogane went off somewhere to pray. Hoshi and Shunguji are doing their own thing. Oma snuck off in all the madness while I locked myself in my room. I had to think of a plan to get Shuichi alone without blowing my cover.  _If the underground is a failure, then I'll need another way out of here_.

* * *

LAMBO'S POV

"Let's take a look at the draft Kirumi wrote up," I said as Gonta towered over my shoulder.

_A note to begin. This is no particular order. I simply accessed the group and who would fit the position._

_Sky Candidates :_

_Kaede Akamatsu,_ _Shuichi Saihara,_ _I-pin Fon,_ _Kokichi Oma,_

_Storm Candidates:_

_Tenko Chabashira,_ _I-pin Fon,_ _Kaito Momota,_ _Mui Iruma_

_Rain Candidates:_

_Rantaro Amami,_ _Shuichi Saihara,_ _Kirumi Tojo,_   _Ryoma Hoshi_

_Mist Candidates:_

_Himiko Yumeno,_ _Kokichi Oma,_ _Tsumugi Shirogane,_ _Korekiyo Shunguji_

_Cloud Candidates:_

_Maki Harukawa, Ryoma Hoshi, Korekiyo Shinguji, Shuichi Saihara_

_Sun Candidates:_

_Gonta Gokuhara, Angie Yongana, Kaede Akamatsu, Kaito Momota_

_Lightning Candidates:_

_I-pin Fon, Rantaro Amami, Tenko Chabashira, Lambo Bovino_

"I guess I'll start with the Mist guardians," I scratched the side of my head. Kirumi really didn't half-ass this list.  _Four Ultimates per ring and five rings in two days? I got my work cut out for me._ "Normally, I would start with the top contender, but Himiko's taking a nap. Tenko might snap my neck if I wake her. I don't even get why Shirogane is on here. She just a cosplayer."

"How about Kokichi?" Gonta glanced at the paper.

"It looks like the case, but-"

"Did you ring?" The little munchkin popped out a bush and scared Gonta in one go.

"We're hiding in grass now?" I rolled my eyes. "If you've been there as long as I think, then you know what I want from you."

"Duh, we're plotting Himiko's murder!" Kokichi said in a gleeful yet devilish tone. "And we're gonna pin it on Tenko!"

_Kokichi Oma's obviously lying._

_Are you willing to stop him?_

_**The things I do for people** / Not my job_

"Gonta cannot hurt Himiko. Gonta a gentleman!" At least, Gonta knew the difference between right and wrong. Kokichi was another story.

"Kokichi's lying again." I rolled my eyes again. "Teasing Kiiboy is one thing, but joking about murder is completely different."

"Nehehe, who says that was a joke," Kokichi laced his fingers behind his head. "I say we attack Tenko from the back and knock her out when she's on her way to her dorm. Then, we find, strike and kill Himiko in one swift motion with a knife from the kitchen. I promise it will be toootally painless. Afterward, we wrap the knife in Tenko's hand and dip. No one would ever question our alibi if we stick the same story. Whatcha say?"

"The answer's no Kokichi." I couldn't believe that I had to explain this to the Ultimate. "Besides, that's too detailed. How long have you been thinking about killing Himiko?"

"Since the first day," The pale boy explained with a childish smile. "I even got Monokuma to green light our escape plan. All we gotta do if grip the knife and thrust together!"

"Gonta protects Himiko from Kokichi," Giant frowned at Kokichi's idea.

"Another lie?" I cocked my eyebrow out of curiosity. "You're really a liar."

"Yeah, it was a lie." The small Ultimate Supreme Leader snickered. "What can I say? I have to lie to stay alive."

"What? Are you talking about that talent of your's?" I asked with my arms folded. "The Ultimate Supreme Leader?"

"Yep, the head of a secret evil organization with over 10,000 members." Kokichi boasted. "Impressive right?"

"Let's say I believe half the crap that comes out your mouth," I rubbed my templed to soothe my growing headache. "How did you of all people become the leader of a group that big?"

"I inherit it. It's a family kind of business after all," Kokichi answered.  _Whether or not he was telling the truth was a different subject. I should probably play along, so I can get an idea of his motive._ "All I had to do was slit my father's throat and poison my mother's cake. Then, the throne was mine!"

"What?!" Gonta's face paled.

"So it was a regicide situation," I hummed along. "Couldn't you wait?"

"Waiting in line is boring, so I skipped that part," Kokichi sighed before a wicked grin grew on his face. "Now I control the world from behind the scenes. From every first world country's government to the underground mafia, the world's my puppet."

"Yet, you're in this killing game?" I said with a hint of disbelief.  _How far is he willing to go with this lie?_

"Who says I'm not one pulling the strings here either?" The small boy smiled widely. For a split second, I thought my eye was deceiving me, but Kokichi's skin and clothes switched from white to complete black. "After all, I know you lied to everyone yesterday morning about your ring."

"Lambo would not lie!" Gonta protested in my defense. "Lambo too nice to lie!"

_Nice is a stretch, but I'm not gonna say that out loud. Besides that tidbit, I didn't think Gonta would jump to my aid that fast._

"Wow Gonta, you saw through my lie so easily," Kokichi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Shuichi would be so proud of your detective skills."

Holding my hand to my mouth, I had to think about how I wanted to deal with 'The Ultimate Supreme Leader'.  _Could Kokichi be the reincarnation of Mukuro Rokudo?_ _He's able to see through lies the same way Mukuro could see through illusions. Or am I thinking to hard about this? God, why am I the one who has to deal with this?_

"Kokichi, you really have the personality of a trickster," I sighed. "How are you able to think so far ahead of everyone?"

"What can I say," The pale little boy giggled to himself. "You can't rule the world without knowing a trick or two."

"I'm starting to understand my Kirumi suggested you for the Mist guardian," I said openly. I fumbled with the remaining two rings in my pocket, making sure I didn't pick up Big Bro's ring by accident. I offered Chrome and Mukuro's shared ring to Kokichi. "Put this on and think of your resolve?"

"What if I stomp on instead?" Kokichi said jokingly...probably...hopefully.

"Then, we all are stuck here because you can't stay serious for five minutes," I rolled my eyes.

"Fiiiiiine," Kokichi whined but nonetheless he began to focus on powering the ring.  _Figuring out what could trigger Gonta's flame was easy, but I can't think of anything that does it for Kokichi. He's able to blend the truth and a lie rather easily, so there's no way I could get a straight answer out of the dude...Then again, if he's anything like Mukuro, I might be better off not asking._ I waited patiently as the ring's flame changed from the occasional flicker to a subtle flame to a sustainable indigo flame. "Sooo pretty!"

Similar to yesterday's experience, one piece of the indigo flame shot away from the three of us. We watched quietly as two figures grow into the shared ring bearers, Chrome Dokuro and Mukuro Rokudo. They styled their hair in the usual pineapple shape and wore a purple dress shirt underneath their suits.

_"Kufufufu," Mukuro's signature snicker send a chill down my spine. He still had that menacing aura surrounding his person even in flame form. "Which of my new toys summoned us?"_

"Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader," He said unfazed by their sudden appearance. "OOOOHHH NO! Do I have to get a pineapple haircut too?"

_Gritting his teeth and holding back the tick mark, Mukuro continued. "A bold one, aren't you?"_

_Stepping in before Mukuro could summon his trident, Chrome took control of the conversation. "Um Kokichi, that's not needed. Please watch what you say, that's a... sensitive topic for Mukuro."_

_"Now, now, my dear Chrome," Mukuro's smile didn't mask his murderous intent. "There's nothing I cannot handle. The words of a child hold the body weight of a squirrel in my eyes."_

_"Um, Mukuro, we should stay on topic," Chrome said shyly. "We don't have long."_

_"...Very well," Mukuro let out a sigh. "Kokichi, listen well because I will only say this once. Use your illusions to create nothing from something and something into nothing, to bewilder all of your opponents"_

"Gotcha, I can totally do all of that!" Kokichi exclaimed. "One problem."

_"Hmm?" Chrome hummed. "What is it?"_

"Kokichi doesn't know how to use illusions." I assumed that was the problem.

_Pausing for a moment, the two professionals shared a glance before Chrome summoned her trident and a sheet of paper "These tools should help you practice. If it helps, think of illusions as nothing more than lies that warp reality."_

"Neheehee, this is going to be fun," Kokichi accepted the two items as past guardian faded away.

_I'm praying Kokichi's more like Chrome than Mukuro._

_Friendship Fragment!_

_Kokichi Oma and Lambo Bovino's bond reached level 2 out of 5!_

* * *

A/N: I should translate Lambo's line eventually.


	10. What Does the Forecast Predict Part 5!

I _don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts/Flames Speaking= Italics_

* * *

This time with Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Child Caretaker...

Dividing and typing my hair into my two ponytails, I prepared myself for the day. I collected my Monophone before I glanced at Fon's sleeping figure.  _The morning announcement will go off in about an hour. Then, that's more than enough time._ Closing the door behind me, I headed out of the dorms and towards the main building. The four remaining Exisals were working on the lawns.  _That's right. Monokuma's explosion did destroy the yellow one. Then does that mean Monokuma only had five, to begin with?_

I passed the dining hall on my way to the storage room. I would've taken a normal kitchen knife and been done, but Nighttime was still in effect. Monokuma stayed true to his word and left a lock on both dining hall entrances. _If Iruma can find the parts to a flamethrower here, then a survival knife should be in here as well._ The rows of steel shelves went on until they hit the back walls. In the front, there were a few boxes of field and track equipment, javelins, shot put balls, hurdles, discus, and some pole vaulting sticks. I passed the row of prescription medicine and drug as I looked through the shelves.  _Now I understand why this storage room is so large, Monokuma stocked this room specifically to keep the murders interesting. The possibilities are endless. But, I won't entertain that bastard. This will be clean and simple._

I found an eight inched survival knife with a black sheath in the back corner of the room. I almost turned away from the box, but I found a faded pink streak on the corner of the wall.  _Is that...blood? No, that's impossible. I don't smell blood, but the consistency is there. Why? Why would there be blood here? Who was killed here? The mark is considerably faded, so this isn't a recent murder. What is this prison?_

"Upupup!" Monokuma crawled out of a tile on the floor.

"Monokuma..." I folded my arms. "What do you want?"

"Can't your pure of heart headmaster come and check on his students?" Monokuma said 'innocently' as he patted his stomach.

"You came because I found that blood in the corner," I narrowed my eyes.  _I rather not beat around the bush._ "That was something you didn't anticipate?"

"It's truly is hard to find good help these days." Monokuma whimpered dramatically before he composed himself. "Then again, it won't matter in the long run. "

"I agree because the mastermind won't survive the week," I glowered in Monokuma's direction.

"Upupup! If you really believe that, then go for it. Whether you're right or wrong, I still get a kill!" Monokuma erupted into a laughing fit. "Then again, Doomsdays begins in two days, so time is beary limited."

"So, you won't deny the idea of a mastermind?"

"I neither confirm or deny the existence of a mastermind. I would be a terrible headmaster if I limited my student's imagination." The monochrome bear explained. "That's what makes this game exciting to watch. Upupup! Give it your all and leave nothing to chance!"

"..." Eyeing Monokuma one last time, I walked towards the exit.

"I assume this little interaction won't reach the ears of your opponents seeing how the stain is hiding behind a box of survival knives. After all, I'm sure they'll be beary curious why the Ultimate Child Caretaker was in the weapon aisle." Monokuma continued to banter on with his taunts.

"I have beary high expectations for you, Little Miss Assassin." Monokuma's smirk sent a chill down my spine before he disappeared from the storage room. I put a brave face on and headed for the back entrance of the dining hall. I took a seat at one of the tables outsides while I tried to calm my nerves.  _Does he really know my talent?_   _How much does Monokuma know about us?_

"Hmph," Hoshi's short, deep, and sudden grunt snapped me from my thoughts. The former tennis player stood on the opposite end of the circular table. "Something on your mind kid?"

"What do you want?" I said with a bored expression on my face.

"A deal between the two of us," Hoshi pulled out of one his candy cigarettes from his pack. "What do you say?"

_Ryoma Hoshi wishes to have a word with you._

_Are you willing to hear him out?_

**_Might as_ ** _**well/**  Ignore him_

"What is it?" I leaned back in the seat and folded my arms.

"I'll be straight with you kid. I want you to kill me if the underground escape fails." Hoshi stared into my eyes with determination and a hardened will. "You're free to decline. However, we both know the stakes."

"So you're willing to sacrifice yourself for what? My freedom and the other's safety?" I scoffed. "The mastermind knows too much. The only way this game can end is with the mastermind dead."

"Hmph, a few days ago you were determined to escape this hellhole, what changed?" Hoshi shrugged, unfazed by my comment.

"...Do you think if we escape the mastermind won't try to capture us again?" I brushed a strain of hair behind my ear as I looked to the side. "Do you believe for one second that they won't track us down again?"

"The thought never crossed my mind, but whoever said the mastermind was ever one person?" Hoshi stared into my eyes. "Do you believe for one second that a single person can maintain a campus this large?"

"Even if what you're saying is true, the head of this 'organization' is in this school." I countered. "If they're somewhere on campus, then they can control everything easily. "

"Then again," Hoshi shrugged with a smirk on his lips. "This is all hypothetical. We could be completely off the mark."

"I know I'm right." I frowned as I lend back in my seat. "The mastermind is nearby."

"Forgive me if I have my doubts," The short man grunted with his eyes closed. "I've seen too much horror this world has to offer to take anyone's word verbatim."

"I'm fine with you not believing every word that comes from my mouth." I paused for a minute, so I could collect my thoughts. "However, why aren't you stopping me?"

"It seems you still got a ways to go," The former Ultimate smirked to himself. "I told you. Do what you have to do to protect what you love while you have the chance. If you believe the mastermind is endangering your orphanage, do what you believe is right."

The morning announcement rang from above the door to the dining hall.

"I'll see you back at breakfast." The former Ultimate offered me a smirk before leaving the area. I watched Hoshi get half to the dorms before I entered the dining hall.

_Friendship Fragment obtained!_

_Ryoma Hoshi and Maki Harukawa's bond reached level 3 out of 5!_

* * *

LAMBO'S POV

"Nyeh Charming," I laced my fingers together behind my head as we left the dining hall. "I need the Rain and Storm rings."

"...Why?" She raised a single eyebrow. "Did you find the other ring bearers already?"

"Yeah Gonta and Kokichi, they filled the Sun and Mist requirement," I answered as the two of us headed for the gym. Tenko and Kaito mentioned something about training after breakfast for anyone interested. "So, I kinda need Yamamoto and Gokudera's rings."

"What about Tsuna's ring?" I-pin asked. "I know you still have that one."

"Yeah, I'm not giving up his ring until the bitter end. Besides, I don't have to grant anyone the Sky ring until we get passed all of the ice." I shrugged. "I'm not even convinced that crap is normal ice."

"...You're suggesting that someone used Zero Point Breakthrough: First Edition? That would mean the mafia would be involved since a normal person couldn't know that move." I-pin held her hand to her mouth as she thought. "But...that's a family secret, so how could it be here?"

"Then, there's a traitor amongst the family. Someone betrayed Tsuna and brought the Vongola name to the brink of destruction." I frowned. "I want to say it was Mukuro, but I saw him yesterday when Kokichi lit the ring. Tsuna entrusted Chrome and Mukuro to deliver that message. If Mukuro is the traitor, then Chrome should've been the only one Tsuna trusted enough to send a message to Kokichi."

"...Did Ryohei appear when Gonta lit the Sun ring?" Charming asked with a bit of hesitation in her voice.

"Yeah, and he was his usual loud self too," I groaned. "That would mean either Yamamoto, Gokudera, or Hibari betrayed the family."

"That's the problem. I can't see any of them betraying Tsuna. Hibari doesn't care enough to do something like that." I-pin gripped the side of her aching head. "Gokudera and Yamamoto are too close to Tsuna for them to backstab our family. So who does that leave?"

"We can't eliminate those three just yet. We know too little to make that kind of call." I retorted as the two of us entered the gym. Tenko had divided the few people who showed up into two gendered groups. On the left, Tenko had Himiko, Angie, and Kaede sitting on the floor. On the right, Kaito had Shuichi, Rantaro, and Gonta doing push-ups while he cheered them on. "I expected this kind of turn out, just a little over half to show up."

"Lookie! Atua foresaw I-pin and Lambo's appearance to our assembly!" Angie rejoiced as all eyes turned to us.

"Alright, we get this going then!" Kaito fist-bumped himself. "Let's light those rings!"

"That's what we're here for?" I sweatdropped. "Y'all were talking training before."

"We are training. You said something about having a resolve so we can light those ring, so the ten of us are gonna train our resolves!" Kaito stated with a burning passion. "If we work hard enough, all seven of those rings will be burning brighter than the sun!"

"Your whole plan was pivoted on the chance of Lambo and I-pin deciding to come?" Shuichi asked with a hint of confusion in his voice.

"I think Kaito was gonna train you guys with or without Lambo and myself?" I-pin shook her head in disappointment. "Okay Kaito and Tenko, how did you want to do this?"

"How about I-pin and the girls work together, so when the degenerates fail, the girls can't be blamed," Tenko suggested.

"Who said we're gonna fail?!" Kaito growled. "If anything, the guys will best the girls!"

"Yo hotheads," Rantaro and I pushed them apart. I, then, pulled out the list Kirumi made for me. "We can get through two rings if you two would chill for a second. Kirumi made a list of potential candidates for each ring. Since Tenko and I-pin are here, they can handle the Storm ring."

"Hold on, the list says that Kaito is a candidate for the Storm ring," Shuichi noted.

"Yeah, but if we leave those two alone, they'll just fight over the ring." I shrugged.

"Fair enough," Rantaro chuckled as he glanced at the reference sheet. "Then Shuichi and I will be trying on the Rain ring."

"We can do the Sky ring while we're at it," Shuichi suggested. "Kaede, I-pin, and myself- wait why am I a candidate?!"

"Kirumi must've seen some kind of potential in you," Kaede smiled brightly. "Give yourself more credit."

"...We should get through the Storm and Rain rings first before we hit the major one." I stated as I-pin handed off Yamamoto's ring to me. "Come on guys, let's get this over with."

"Rantaro...do you want to go first?" The Ultimate Detective tipped his hat.

"You have a better chance than me, Shuichi," The Ultimate Mystery waved off the offer. "The Ultimate Detective must have a righteous resolve, after all."

"Gonta believe in Shuichi!" Giant nodded along.

"Yeah...right," Shuichi eyed the ring for a moment before slipping it onto his finger.

"Alright man, what's your resolve?" Kaito grinned, waiting for an answer.

"I-I don't know. I never really gave it any thought." He admitted in a low tone. "I only became the Ultimate Detective by accident. I was just an errand boy that stumbled across the truth of one of Uncle's cases, nothing more and nothing less."

"What about personal goals." I folded my arms together. "You have to be something in your life. Protecting a younger sister? Or fighting strong opponents? Or something stupid like being the best right-hand man around."

"I...I haven't given that kind of stuff any real thought." Shuichi shrugged.

"Hmmm..." Rantaro hummed softly as Kaito attempted to convince Shuichi to adopt a goal.

"Huh? What's up with you?" I turned to the mysterious boy.

"Oh nothing, I had a goal, but I don't believe it would go very well with our situation." Rantaro scratched the side of his reddening cheeks.

"Doesn't really have to be related." I rolled my jaw. "Look at Gonta. He wants to be the perfect gentleman."

"You have a point. I remembered something when you said 'protecting a younger sister'. I still need to find mines." He admitted.

"You lost your sister? At what? The mall?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"It's nothing that simple." Rantaro awkwardly chuckled. "When I was just around my second year of middle school, my family was in a foreign country for our annual boating trip. My little sister got off the yacht at one of the ports when no one was looking. When we finally noticed, she was gone, and no one in the nearby village knew when she went."

"Your sister been missing for that long?" I gasped. "So you've been searching for almost three years?"

"And, I haven't given up. When I entered Hope's Peak Academy, the headmasters funded my search while honed my skills as an Ultimate." Rantaro beamed a smile.  _That's certainly dedication, but that school. Why would Big Bro and Enma start a school? I'll just have to ask Rantaro when we're alone._

"That's definitely should get the ring lit," I shrugged before turning to Shuichi. "How about we give Rantaro a try? Even though he doesn't know his talent, he sounds pretty serious about his resolve."

"Hey, Shuichi and I are onto something! Give us some time." Kaito declared.

"That's the one thing we don't have, Kaito. If we don't escape tomorrow, then we die." I reminded the astronaut. "Do you want to die?"

"No! What I'm saying is that Imma put my faith in Shuichi!" Kaito snapped back. "I know there's some hidden potential in him, and I'm gonna bring it out."

"Sure, waste your time on that but give Rantaro the ring. So, I can figure out if he's the proper ring bearer." I frowned.

"Now now, you guys," Rantaro stepped in between us with a smile. "There's nothing worth fighting about. Counting today, we have three days until Monokuma kills us. That's plenty of time to decide the last three ring bearers. Logically speaking, we only need to find one a day."

"Rantaro's right..." Shuichi said softly as he slipped the ring off his finger. "However, it would better to leave as soon as possible. That's why we decided to complete two rings today."

"Shuichi..."

"Here you go Rantaro." The detective put a brave smile as he placed the ring into Rantaro's hand. Quietly, Shuichi hung his head and left the gym.

"Lambo..." A familiar and menacing voice appeared from behind me. A chill went down my spine.

"Hehe...My Chinese Beauty, how long have you been standing there." I nervous chuckled.

"Go after him or face my Haisangen." She growled.

"Yes Charming!" I saluted before running after the boy.  _Damnnit Charming, it's not my job to cheer up people._ I stumbled across Shuichi when I got to the library in the basement. "There you are Shuichi. Why did you run out of the gym like that?"

"Sorry, I thought Rantaro was a better candidate than me, so I figured I should give Rantaro the ring and leave." Shuichi tipped his cap towards me, so I couldn't get a real good look at his face. "You said so yourself."

"That's not what I meant Shuichi. I just wanted to see if Rantaro and the Rain ring were compatible." I shoved my hands into my pockets. "None of that was meant to offend you."

"I know, but it feels like everyone has their life figured out." He admitted. "Then, there's me. I don't know what I should do once I get out of here."

_Ahh, so this isn't about being a guardian. He wants a sense of purpose._

_Shuichi Saihara is depressed._

_Are you willing to give him some guidance?_

**_Yeah, I should/_ ** _Face Haisangen_

"Shuichi, that's not something you can figure out in one afternoon." I leaned against one of the bookcases. "I would suggest becoming a full-fledged detective first and see where that takes you."

"I can't be a detective. I became detective prince by accident, nothing more." Shuichi shook his head.

"How do you know it wasn't fate?" I countered. "Actually, I've met someone who had the same mindset as you."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, he really didn't believe in himself. He couldn't do anything right...failed at everything...bullied every day. He was a complete mess." I smirked as I sat down on the floor. "Oh, but how he has grown in such a short time."

"Really? Who was it?" Shuichi said with a hint of interest. I patted the space next to me, and I waited for him to sit.

"My older brother Tsuna was truly hopeless. He was so useless that people actually nicknamed him 'No-Good-Tsuna'." I smiled at the moment.  _Oh, how the young Vongola boss has grown..._

"Lambo, why are you smiling? You haven't mentioned one good trait about Tsuna." Shuichi raised an eyebrow.

"I can't help but smile. Even with a shitty life, he still welcomed me and others into his home and life." _I mean eventually, he did. Tsuna did try to throw me out a couple of times, but he warmed up to me._ "He thought I was worth risking his life to save. Shit, he's the reason why I was able to have a great and supportive family. I owe him my life."

"Your brother sounds amazing, but I don't understand how this relates to me being a detective."

"When I first met you Shuichi, I realized how much you reminded me of Tsuna," I admitted with a sigh. "You both reject the titles given. I honestly say that my brother's life got better once he used his abilities and found people worth protecting. So, I guess what I'm saying is put some faith in your detective skills and see where it takes you."

"Lambo..."

"Or do what you want, I don't care." I shrugged. "I said my piece."

"And there goes the sentimental moment," Shuichi sweatdropped. "Maybe Kaede's right, she's been such a large help in my search around the school. Kaede was even willing to help investigate the library."

"The library? What's so special about this dusty ass place?" I folded my arms.

"...There's a secret door behind the middle bookcase against the wall. I found it after we all tried the underground passage." He admitted. "Yesterday, Kaede spent the day organizing the books on top of the bookcases. I forgot the reason though."

"That girl is weird. What's the point of organizing that crap?" I shook my head. I stood up and eyed the designated bookshelf. "A secret door huh? Wanna bust it open?"

"What?! We can't do that!" Shuichi gasped.

"Why not? Let's break down the door and see what's behind it."

"If we do that, then there's no way we can figure out who the mastermind is," Shuichi explained as he stood up. "I have a theory. The mastermind is using that door to enter and leave their lair, so if we want to stop the killing game before it starts, we'll need to subdue the mastermind."

"Or else, we'll just get captured again." I frowned as I stopped conducting electricity. "Well Sherlock, how are you gonna subdue the mastermind?"

"The thought of using cameras crossed my mind, but I would have to hide them somewhere in the library." Shuichi rubbed his chin. "Maybe the bookcases..."

"You got your work cut out," I scratched the side of my head.

_Friendship Fragment obtained!_

_Shuichi Saihara and Lambo Bovino's bond reached level 2 out of 5!_

* * *

MAKI'S POV

 _Why did Bovino and Saihara have to be in the library? I should've gotten my book back when I did the steak out._ Rubbing my temples, I gave up for the day. I returned to the first floor's entrance when I saw Fon passed out on the concrete. Her body was propped up against the wall. _What? What is she doing? It smells like rotten eggs in here._ I knelt down next to the martial artist and checked her breathing.  _He_ _r breathing is shallow, but I think Fon will survive._

I gripped her shoulder and shook her awake. "Fon wake up. This is no time for a nap."

"Hu-Huh? What happened?" Fon groaned as she gripped the side of her head.

"I can ask you the same thing." I sighed. "Why would you take a nap in a place like this?"

"I only remember going to sleep. I thought I was walking to the dorms," Fon stood up and start to brush the dust and dirt off of her clothes. Fon froze when she touched her pocket. "Maki, we need to assemble everyone."

"What? How is that going to help?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Ah Maki and I-pin, how are you?" K1-B0 waved as he approached the two of us.

"Keebo!" Fon exclaimed. "I need your help. Get everyone to the dining hall. It's urgent!"

"I see." K1-B0 complied without a single objection. "Very well, I will gather everyone who is outside the building and converge in the dining hall."

"Thank you, I'll check this floor and one above," Fon volunteered. "Maki, can I trust you to check the basement?"

"...Fine, it's the least amount of work after all." I nodded along before I turned towards the stairs direction. It was odd how disturbed Fon was.  _What is her problem? She should be worried about her well being instead of the others._ I pulled those thoughts into the back of my head as I entered the library. "Fon wants us to gather in the dining hall."

And with that note passed on, I left the library and head for the dining hall. It was about two minutes before I head some footsteps behind me.

"Hold on Maki, that's not something you can say and just leave." Bovino groaned.

"I was told to pass on the message...nothing more," I explained.

"Did Fon say anything else?" Saihara asked.

"Nothing noteworthy, I found her sleeping in the main entrance." I shrugged as the three of us entered the dining hall.

"Welp, I'm murdering someone today," Bovino sighed and began creating a ball of sparks in his hands.

"Lambo please," Fon sighed as she stood at the front table. "Save your powers for later."

"Charming, what happened?" Bovino glared at each and everyone in the room. "Why did you call all of us in here?"

"I lost the Cloud ring." She hung her head in shame. "I let my guard down. It was on me when I left the gym I swear."

"I found her passed out in the main entrance," I added on. "The room smelled like rotten eggs."

"I-pin...I think someone used sleeping gas on you," Saihara deducted. "Rotten eggs are common after scent when knockout gas is used."

"Then, that means someone in this room is the culprit." Oma chuckled to himself. "Welp, it's time to start point fingers. I think it's Maki. After all, she's the one who found I-pin."

"I didn't steal anything," I scoffed as I leaned back in my chair.

"Great defense," Oma sarcastically smiled.

"I-pin, it might help if you describe what happened once Lambo and I left the gym," Saihara steered the conversation into a productive route.

"Well, Rantaro and Tenko lit the rings. After talking to Angie and Himiko for a while, I decided to go back to my dorm." Fon recalled. "I got to the main entrance while I noticed the hall was filling with fog. After that, everything went black. When Maki woke me up, I noticed the ring wasn't in my pocket."

"So, one of the seventeen of us took the ring," Amami shoved his hands into his pocket. "Actually, that number should be fourteen. Gonta, Kaito, and I never left the gym, so we have alibis."

"Lambo and I are each other's alibis," Saihara noted. "Did anyone else leave the gym?"

"No, Kaede, Angie, Himiko, and I trained in the gym once I-pin left," Chabashira declared. "That means we're not suspects! Isn't that great Himiko?"

"Miu requested my aid with the flamethrowers," Tojo mentioned with a finger to her chin. "That should leave six suspects."

"Maki, Hoshi, Kokichi, Keebo, Korekiyo, and Shirogane." Bovino sighed. "It's one of you."

"Oh, am I going to get interrogated by the Ultimate Detective," Oma's eye sparkled.

"Kufufu, things are becoming interesting," Shunguji chuckled to himself.

"We have bigger problems," Akamatsu pleaded for everyone to pay attention. "How are we going to escape without that ring?"

"Kaede's right," Hoshi grunted. "Without the Cloud ring, escaping is impossible."

"I-pin, are you sure it's not in your pocket," Momota huffed. "Someone taking it? That doesn't make sense! We all want to escape! Why would someone prevent it?"

"The mastermind would prevent it," I spoke up. "The mastermind would take any measure necessary to start this killing game."

"A mastermind? One of us?! That's impossible." Momota scoffed.

"Then, explain why someone would take the Cloud ring?" I folded my arms.

"I-pin probably dropped it somewhere. Come on, let's go find it." Momota declared.

"Degenerate, I-pin didn't drop anything!" Chabashira opposed the astronaut. "Clearly a degenerate male attacked I-pin."

"Maki and Shirogane are still suspects," Oma reminded her. "There's also a microwave, so we have a full cast of suspects."

"That is robophobic!" K1-B0 glared at the small boy.

"WAIT!" Akamatsu screamed and silenced the bickering four. "I have a question. I thought Lambo was holding those rings."

"I gave I-pin half for safekeeping," Bovino explained with a sigh. " I should've known I was putting her in danger."

"It's not your fault Lambo," Fon comforted her friend.

"I have a question," Oma stood up on the table. "What if the mastermind won't stop with just one ring?"

"Kokichi...what do you mean?" Saihara hesitated in asking his question.

"What if the mastermind wants the guardians dead, so we can't escape." He proposed.

"No...That's impossible because you're perfectly safe Kokichi." Saihara shook his head. "You're the only ring bearer who doesn't have an alibi nor company. Besides, I-pin is much more difficult opponent than you Kokichi, so I think it would easier to subdue you than her."

"That's some S-class deduction right there!" Shirogane exclaimed.

"Oh, you're going to need to try harder than that Shuichi," Oma continued with his taunting. "The culprit used sleeping gas like you mentioned before, so battle prowl isn't a factor in this mystery. All they really needed was a ring bearer for their plan. Which means Kiiboy's our culprit!"

"Enough of your robophobic remarks Kokichi!" Steam blew out of K1-B0's nostrils.

"You're getting awfully upset," Oma smirked with an evil grin plaster on his face.

"You're accusing Keebo of attacking one of his friends," Akamatsu stated.

"Kokichi, where did you get that from? That came from out of left field." Amami folded his arms.

"Kiiboy's the only one here without a sense of smell. Therefore, our little toaster oven wouldn't be affected the same way a normal human would, so he could walk through the fog and steal the ring without a problem." Oma explained with a gleeful grin on his face.

"I am not a toaster oven!"

"Kokichi, you're not wrong. That is a possibility, but I have another one," Saihara slowly nodded along. "What if someone used a gas mask? That method would use the same concept as Keebo's lack of smell."

"Yeah, but that doesn't eliminate any of the suspects," Bovino groaned. "We don't know if the ring bearers are in danger or who's the mastermind."

"There's also Monokuma's Doomsday motive." Amami looked out the window. "If we don't count today, there are only two days left."

"Fucking hell, I wasted my precious time on those flamethrowers!" Iruma spat out. "Someone better cough that baby cockring or heads are gonna be rolling!"

"Miu, this isn't the time to be throwing around insults," Akamatsu sighed as she gripped the side of her head. "We gotta do something before Monokuma's deadline passes."

"How about I take one for the greater good?" Hoshi suggested with a heavy sigh. "If I die, that should buy the rest of you guys time and satisfy Monokuma for time being."

"Ryoma, you can't be serious," Fon's complexion pale considerably.

"Why wouldn't I be? I gave up on life a long time ago, so what's wrong with one sacrifice?" Hoshi shrugged.

"Because that's still a life!" Momota growled. "If you die, then, the killing game starts. There will be no going back!"

"Now now, there's no need to have your tempers flare," Amami stepped in between the two Ultimate. "While Ryoma is entitled to his own decisions, that doesn't mean it's the best choice. Sure, Monokuma will be satisfied with the murder of Ryoma, but how long will Monokuma be satisfied? We cannot assume that our captor will settle with a single death after all. No, they want to milk this killing game for as many deaths and murders as possible until two remain."

"So, Ryoma would only buy us a limited amount of time," K1-B0 theorized.

"I rather have everyone survive than know people sacrificed themselves so we could escape." Akamatsu shook her head.

"Plus, it doesn't matter how much time we'll save if the Cloud ring is never found," Bovino mentioned.

"It's getting pretty late, you guys," Chabashira noted as she watched the sunset.

"We should call it a day," Fon sighed. "Tomorrow, how about divide into two teams? One group will search the school for the cloud ring, and the other team will check out the underground tunnel. Since Miu finished the flamethrowers, the ice should be no problem. Once we find the Cloud ring, team A will head down to the tunnel and we all can escape together."

"It would be a problem if one of the suspects were allowed to roam the school," Amami noted as he glanced around the room. "How about we send those six to the tunnel plus three others?"

"Then, Maki, Shirogane, Oma, Keebo, Ryoma, and Korekiyo will search the tunnel," Akamatsu stated. "We'll need Shuichi if we're going to investigate the school."

"We'll need someone to watch them for a safety measure," Amami rubbed his chin for a moment. "Miu, Lambo, and I will tag along."

"That would mean Kaede, Kirumi, Tenko, Himiko, Gonta, Shuichi, Kaito, Angie, and I-pin will search the school for the final ring." Bovino finalized the list. "Welp, I'm gonna take a shower before Nighttime hits."

_Great, there goes my day tomorrow._


	11. What Does the Forecast Predict Part 6!

I _don't own any of the following characters. Hitman Reborn is owned by Akria Amano, and Danganronpa V3 is owned by Kazutake Kodaka. I hope you enjoy!_

_Thoughts/Flames Speaking= Italics_

This time with Lambo Bovino, the Ultimate Lightning Rod...

The next morning I-pin and Kaede came around to everyone's dorms. They were adamant about us starting as soon as the morning announcements were over. Where those two found the energy to convince sixteen teenagers to sacrifice their sleep, I will never know. To be honest, for a moment, Shuichi had it the worst since Kaede dragged him out of bed an hour before anyone else. But hey, I'm not complaining. Without Shuichi's rule-bidding attitude, I managed to sleep right up to the Monokubs' announcements. Well...what's left of them. The yellow one never reappeared after the day Monokuma exploded. 'Oh well,' I thought as a rolled over in my bed, a content smile printed on my face.  _While those suckers are out wandering the school, I get to sleep in._

"Lambo..."A growl escaped Charming's lips. My instincts kicked in a second too late as my world was flipped. I found myself sandwiched between my bedframe and my mattress. "Your team is waiting."

"Good morning to you too my Chinese beauty," I groaned as I threw my mattress off my body. "What do I owe the pleasure of you gracing me with your presence?"

"One, you're running late," The Ultimate Martial Artist sauntered over to my dresser and began tossing clothes in my general direction. "Two, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Do you remember when I made all that coffee and was late the very next day?"

"Yeah, how can I forget?" I stated as I buttoned up my shirt halfway. "What's this about? Did you find something relating to Big Bro?"

"No... It's about the mastermind. I'm sorry I couldn't mention it the day it happened, but Maki and I were guarding a secret door in the library." I-pin gripped her left arm with a painful expression.

"The one behind the center bookcase that's against the wall?" I asked her to confirm what I already knew.

"Lambo...how did you-" I-pin gasped as her eyes widened.

"Shuichi showed it to me yesterday. He thinks that the mastermind is using that door to enter and exit their secret hideout." I explained as I locked my horns into place. "The question now is 'how did you find that door?' Charming?"

"Maki and I saw Shuichi and Kaede examining it the day Monokuma exploded." She admitted without much of a fight. "I thought that the mastermind would enter the library, so they could create a new Monokuma. However,... no one entered the library that night. I swear on my master's life."

"However, that same morning Maki came through the front door of the dining hall and not the outside entrance," I rolled my jaw. "So, there's the possibility that the Ultimate Childcare Giver made a pit stop at the library. It doesn't help that she doesn't have an alibi for yesterday."

"I don't think Maki's the mastermind even with all that evidence," I-pin shook her head as she placed a hand on her hip. "You can't refute that Maki could've stolen that ring at any point during Nighttime. If she was the mastermind, why would she so cold towards everyone? Lambo, you said it yourself. The whoever trapped us here would blend in and not stand out."

"Charming, you have no evidence to clear Maki from suspicion." I rolled my eyes as I leaned against the wall. "Yeah, Maki is colder then Adel's ice, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for her to be the mastermind."

"I'll trust my intuition until the bitter end. Unlike we can cross every other possibility off the list, I'll believe Maki is innocent." I-pin exclaimed with her hand on her heart.

"...Why are you defending her? We barely know these people." I frowned at the idea, but I still allowed her to speak her piece.

"I can't shake the feeling that Maki and I aren't so different. When the two of us spent that night together, I saw myself in her. I can't pinpoint what aspect I saw in her, but I believe there's some good in Maki." Charming explained with a heartfelt smile. "Now come on, the others are waiting on us. We can finish this conversation later."

Reluctantly, I followed her of my bedroom and to my group. My Chinese beauty wished the nine of us good luck. I noticed that Maki and Miu rolled their eyes but said nothing. Kokichi and Gonta appeared to be merriest ones amongst our group. Everyone else's attitude ranged from 'at least we're being productive' to 'I don't want to be here'. I was leaner towards the latter, but I kept it to myself. Ryoma and Keebo lead us back to the manhole while Rantaro stayed in the back to keep Maki and me from leaving.  _It's not that I don't want to escape from Monokuma's grasp, but what about breakfast?_

"Keebo, are you sure that its safe for you to be down here?" Rantaro asked as he stepped off the ladder. The steel double doors had kept the ice at bay.  _Nice, but those doors are covered in frost. Can we even open the damn thing?_ "The majority of the ice will turn into a liquid before turning into steam."

"There is no need to worry about my well-being," K1-B0 reassured the eight of us with a grand smile. " My creator, Professor Idabashi, believed it was appropriate to provide my exterior with water resistant features."

"Wow Keebo, your inventor must've been quite impressive to think so far ahead." Shirogane proclaimed.

"It was through multiple trials and errors that I was able to become water resistant." Kiiboy beamed with pride.

Kiyo hummed softly to himself before he posed a question. "I will admit. My curiosity has been peaked. Did your professor draw any inspiration from any culture in particular? Although his surname is Japanese, I couldn't help myself from noticing the similarities between your design and other countries' robotic designs."

"Fuck off, folklore cunt!" Miu growled in a protective manner. "Keebo's professor's ass is mine! I was here first."

"There is no need to argue. Professor Idabashi will be more than happy to speak with any of my comrades." Keebo stated with a hand their shoulders.

"Well, that should be more than enough motivation for us to start cut through the ice," Rantaro clapped loudly to bring those three back to reality. "Are the flamethrower working?"

"Better than viagra!" The Ultimate Inventor exclaimed proudly. "Y'all better prepare of yourselves 'cus we're going in full force!"

"Innuendo aside," Maki played with a strand of her hair while she avoided looking in Iruma's general direction. "There's one thing we might have overlooked. Iruma, you made the accessibility of those flamethrowers simple, right?"

"O-Oh course, I built them with specifically in mind," Miu sputtered out. "I got Kirumi's opinion on their simplicity yesterday. Even Tarzan could use one of my genius inventions in his sleep."

"Hphm, so who's going to use them?" Ryoma grunted as he glanced around the room. "There's nine of us and three weapons."

"We'll need two people to hold open the door, so that has to be taken into account." The Ultimate Mystery reminded us. "How about Lambo, Miu, and myself use the flamethrowers? Ryoma and Maki can hold open the door?"

"What the fuck? Why don't you put Kokichi's twink ass to work?!" Miu objected with a hand on her hip. "Why do I got to do more work?"

"I can't speak for Rantaro, but I wouldn't be entirely comfortable with the Ultimate Supreme leader wielding a deadly weapon." Ryoma spared Kokichi a glance.

"Ryoma, your words wound me," Kokichi stated with a playful smile.

"I guess your inventor didn't make you fireproof as well, huh?" Shirogane assumed. "Keebo, you might want to stand as far as possible from the door. We wouldn't want you to overheat or melt."

"Noted..." K1-B0 couldn't help but stare warily at the machinery.

"How about we actually make some headway," Maki sighed heavily as she stalked over to the steel doors. Without so much as a warning, Maki slowly pushed one of the doorways open. The high pitched screeching caused by the door and ground grinding against each other assaulted our eardrums. Wiping the blood from my ears, I glared at the exit. The ice seeped out a leisure spend as it covered the area surrounding the door frame. Maki jumped back as the ice-encased the doorknob. "Look alive people!"

"Miu, you're on standby," Rantaro told her as the two of us aimed our firearms. "Lambo, on the count of three we go full force!"

"Got it!"

"1...2...3!" Rantaro shouts as we removed the safety lock and unleash hellfire onto the ice. I paced the amount of fluid as we slowly approached the door. Ryoma and the others moved behind us to escape the risk of being burned alive.

"Hey...not to alarm anyone, but does it look like the ice isn't going away?" warily said Shirogane. "I've been meaning to get new glasses, but I guess I should make an appointment soon because my eyes must be playing tricks on me."

"As a person who demonstrates perfect eyesight on a daily basis," Kiyo hummed a tune softly. "the ice is indeed unfazed by the fire. Interesting enough, this is a first. It's quite unlikely for these turn of events to occur."

"Oh, you gotta be shitting me," Miu weakly scoffed. "How the fuck is fire ineffective?!"

"Wow Miu, you're so useless. You invented a fire weapon that can't melt ice." Kokichi taunted. "Too bad we can't escape now."

"Kokichi what are you..." My jaw dropped when I saw the ice paint the circular wall and the ladder with frost. "Oh, dev'essere uno scherzo."

"That was our only way out," Shirogane despaired. "We-We're trapped!"

"If someone has a backup plan this would be the time to speak up," Ryoma grunted as he shifted his body to protect Maki from the ice.

I gritted my teeth. _I gotta do something if we want to escape. What if?_  I dropped the flamethrower and cracked my knuckles. Cracking my neck, I allowed sparks to float around my body."Everyone get behind Rantaro and Ryoma! I'll buy y'all some time!"

"Lambo, what are-" K1-B0 was caught off by the electricity consuming my body.

"Stand back Keebo, I don't want to short circuit you just because got too close," I lifted my burning ring to my horns. The electricity swarmed my bullhorns just as I tilted my head towards the double doors. "Roaring Thunder!"

A single green spark flew between my horn and grew into a sphere of lightning flames. Concentrating all of my power into this one spot and allowing my stored power to act as an amplifier, I shot off a bright beam of green dying will flames that pierced through the cavern of ice. A blast of icy fog erupted from the tunnel and blurred our vision.

"...Holy shit..." The Ultimate Mystery whispered. "This is what the Ultimate Lightning Rod is capable of?"

"It's not over," I coughed as I used my ring's flame to guide me through the fog to the closest wall. "I think the ring's flames can melt the ice!"

"Logically speaking, Lambo's theory has the potential to be correct," K1-B0 stated as he calculated the probability. "The ice did originate from the encrypted door."

"Had we known that before, Tenko and Gonta could've come with us," Rantaro raised his fist to eye level, so he could see his Rain flame grow. "For now, Lambo, Kokichi, and myself can undo as must as we can with our power until the others can arrive."

"It's not life-threatening excitement, but at least, this is still exciting." Kokichi snickered as he charged the Mist ring.

"I can live without that much excitement." Shirogane sighed as the nine of us complied into the tunnel. With the guardians leading the charge, we might actually make some progress. Kokichi and Rantaro effortlessly melted the ice. I place my ring on the ice, but it didn't seem to make a dent like before.

"What the hell?" I cocked an eyebrow. "Why isn't it working?"

"Interesting? Although your ring is clearly lit, it has become ineffective to the ice." Kiyo rubbed his chin. "Could this be the limit?"

"What's wrong Limpo? You're a one-stroke kind of guy?" Miu taunted me. "Was the pressure too much for your limp dick?!"

"I don't think that's the case," Maki stepped in and glowered at the pink head. "We're about one-seventh into the cave, so each flame might melt only a portion of the ice."

"That would also equate to us unable to escape until the Cloud ring has resurfaced," Kiyo mentioned with his eyes closed. "In our current position, the path will be cleared only three-sevenths of the way."

"Should we retreat, then?" I shoved my hands into my pocket. "Cuz we're gonna end up less than halfway with two of them."

"No...Although, the exit is still blocked." Rantaro recalled. "Lambo, can you deal with that for us?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." I waved them goodbye. "I'll be heading back to tell I-pin and others about our progress."

"Wait up Limpo," Miu shouted as she chased after me. "I'm blowing this dump too! Besides, I was struck with my next big project!"

"And what's that?" I rolled my eyes as I motioned my ring between my horns. The spark grew until it covered my horns completely. By climbing the ladder, my flame melted the ice before I touched the next step.

"Well, Shitichi and No-Tits want three different sensor cameras." She sighed. "Imma start making y'all start paying for these fucking inventions! Got me wasting my precious brain cells on these shitty ideas!"

"You can always turn down the suggestion," I pointed out. "Why would Shuichi even need- Oh, that clever bastard."

"What? Shitichi wants to catch someone in the shower, so his virgin ass can have something to jerk off to." Miu stooped to her usual perverted ideas.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. They're trying to catch the mastermind in some sort of act." I murmured. "Shuichi knows he can't convict anyone without evidence. He can say who's the mastermind, but he'll need physical evidence to convince everyone else."

"Then, why the hell are they waiting until tomorrow? I'm gonna need to pull an all-nighter just to have the damn thing ready in the morning." Miu growled as I helped her out of the manhole. "It's too close to the Doomsday Motive."

"Yeah, but what choice do we have? The flamethrowers wasted three days, and then there's the whole missing ring nonsense." I huffed as I lead the Ultimate Inventor back to her lab. Along the way, I spotted Giant and Kirumi searching through the patches of grass. "Um, what the hell are you guys going?"

"Oh, good afternoon Lambo and Miu," The pale maid brushed the dirt off her dress. "Were your group's efforts fruitful?"

"Yeah, there was some progress, but it almost cost us our lives." I groaned at the memory. "The flamethrowers did nothing against the ice, but apparently the flame from our rings can."

"Interesting," Kirumi raised a finger to her chin before she showed content with the curl of her lips. "It appears we have a slither of hope."

Cocking my eyebrow, I pose a question. "Y'all found the Cloud ring?"

"Unfortunately, we have not. Gonta and I complete our section of the school rather quickly." The Ultimate Maid shook her head once before she continued with her explanation. "Since we had some time leftover, Gonta asked for my assistance with his insect search."

 _I keep forgetting Gonta's the Ultimate Entomologist._ "Now, that I think about it... I haven't been bitten by a bug since we've been here."

"Well duh, you're walking bug zapper," Miu rolled her eyes.

"That might be the case for Lambo," The politer girl of the two sighed. "I haven't come across any signs of life either. Gonta, can you come here please?"

"Yes, Miss Kirumi!" Gonta's gigantic figure managed, but some miracle, to avoid stepping on a blade of grass. "Hello, Lambo! Hello Miss Miu! How can Gonta help?"

"Hey, Gonta, did you find any bugs flying around or in the grass yet?" I folded my arms as I waited for an answer.

"Gonta thought Gonta saw a bug friend flying, but Gonta no find any in the grass." Gonta blushed out of embarrassment. "Gonta's eyes usually really good."

"He isn't the type to lie..." I muttered to myself as I thought about what Gonta said.  _Kirumi hasn't seen any signs of life, but Gonta swears there are bugs. I want to believe in both of them, but those statements contradict each other. Ugh, I don't have for this!_ "I guess we'll have to postpone the bug search for now. For now, we should meet up with the others in the dining hall."

"Agreed," Kirumi laced her fingers together. "I will take this opportunity to prepare dinner. I open to any suggestions."

"I haven't had Italian in a while actually," I shrugged as I followed behind Gonta and Kirumi with Miu to my left.

"Fuck that, we need Mexican food and destroy the bathrooms!" Mui challenged.

I cringed at the sheer thought. "Ew, hell no,"

"How about both?" Gonta chimed in.

I gave Giant a confused look. "That's like brushing your teeth and drinking orange juice. There's just some stuff you don't mix."

"But Gonta do both in the morning," Gonta thought out loud. "Gonta no see problem."

"Come on Tarzan!" Miu quickened her paced and waved for him to forward her. With his signature childlike smile, Gonta was more than excited to listen to the crazed inventor. "Let's put that shit to the test!"

"Geez, what are we going to do with those two?" I said with my hands on my hip. Kirumi stifle a chuckle as we watched them race to the cafeteria. "Kirumi's laugh? That's a rare sound to experience."

"Excuse my behavior," Ms. Tojo smiled softly. "But, Gonta's cheerful personality is infectious. When he beams, our situation almost comes off as hopeful."

"Kirumi, if you want to preserve that smile, you might want to stop Miu," I smirked. "You know she'll make him do it."

MAKI'S POV

Amami and Hoshi lead us back to the dining hall once we completed our section of the ice. For some reason, the ice didn't grow after the rings lost their effect. Rather, the ice solidified exactly at the 3/6th mark and not the 3/7th mark.  _I'm sure we made it halfway and not less. The question is why. Is one of the rings useless against the ice? Or is it another reason?_ I sighed to myself. At each table, Tojo laid out paper with a type of culture. Bovino, Saihara, Momota, Fon, and Akamatsu's table had Italin written in cursive. Iruma, Shirogane, Yogana, Gokuhara, K1-B0, and Hoshi's table had Mexican. My table, consisting of myself, Chabashira, Yumeno, Shunguji, Amami, and Oma was left with Japanese.

"Soooo, who would like to begin?" Akamatsu cleared her throat with a cough.

"I'll speak for my team. I will do my best to keep this short." The Ultimate Mystery chuckled for a moment before he realizes how stoic we were. Amami rose to his feet. "The flamethrowers were a dud. Miu is truly the Ultimate Inventor, but the blockage seems to be weak against the flames our rings produce."

"Then, finding the Cloud ring should be our top priority," Shirogane tapped her finger against her chin.

"Hey Kaito," Bovino rested his hand on his chin as he stared at the purple haired boy. "Did you see the ring in the entrance hall? I mean that's where you said Charming dropped."

"N-No..." Momota averted his eyes from Bovino's smirking eyes for a minute before he hardened his resolve. "But, it gotta be there! There's no way someone would attack a professional martial artist!"

"Momota's beliefs aside, did anyone locate the seventh ring?" I looked around the room with a frown. No one in the search party dared to look me in the eyes as they all murmured 'no'.

"Nishishi! Somebody's lying!" Oma smirked with a finger to his lips. I watched as some tensed their bodies at the idea of someone purposely withholding the ring while others like Amami and Bovino seemed more confused than terrified. "I won't allow anyone to get away with lying while I'm around. Lying is a terrible sin to commit."

"Kokichi, you continuously lie! My automatic recording can prove it!" K1-B0 glared at the smaller boy.

"Nishishi, but I have an alibi this time around," Oma laced his finger together behind his head. "I was too busy melting that ice, so I'm in the clear. Isn't it great?"

"Come on guys, whoever has it please speak up," Akamatsu pleaded with her puppy dog eyes. "It's not too late. We can still escape together and become friends."

"Hold on," Saihara tipped his hat to block his line of sight. I was unable to determine who or what the detective was staring at. "I understand why the mastermind would withhold the ring, but why would anyone else? What is there to gain?"

"What if that fucker wants to start the killing game too? Like fetish you don't know you have until a little...experiment happens." Iruma suggested.

"Um Miu, I don't think that's the case," Shirogane sweatdropped.

"Ah, but she may very be onto something," Shunguji closed his eyes. "We are experiencing something completely unheard of. Rings producing and sustaining fire? A mutual killing game with complete and utter strangers? Who's to say some aren't interested in the idea of going to the extreme? After all, this game plays with the concept of 'how far is a person willing to go for their beliefs'. Thus, this covers Hoshi's suicidal sacrifice and murder. I personally have no interest in participating, but I do not oppose the idea of observing."

"Kiyo...did you take the ring?" Fon asked warily.

"Sadly, I am not the culprit you seek. I have an alibi for last night as well as the entire day, so it is impossible for me to fit the profile."

"Without a proper timeframe, it's possible to determine when the ring could have been stolen for the second time." Amami sighed. "The only thing we can certain is that anyone who was underground can't have the ring, except for Lambo and Mui. You two did leave before the rest of us."

"True, but we ran into Gonta and Kirumi right after that," Bovino objected as he played his curly hair. "Therefore, neither Miu or I had the time to find it. I can't account for what Gonta and Kirumi did before that, but that should clear Miu and me from any suspicion."

"Which leaves Akamatsu, Saihara, Fon, Momota, Gokuhara, Chabashira, Yumeno, Tojo, and Yongana." I leaned back in my chair.

"Maki...you know that you can call us by our first names." Akamatsu smiled brightly. "We're friends after all."

"Which leaves  _Akamatsu_ , Saihara, Fon, Momota, Gokuhara, Chabashira, Yumeno, Tojo, and Yongana," I said with a bored expression.

"Hmmm, Auta keeps Angie on the righteous road, so it is impossible for a devout worshipper of Auta to be suspect," And with that small plead of innocence, the other eight potential criminals devolved to insisting they too were in the clear. Ranging from 'being a gentlemen' to 'clear a degenerate is the culprit', the dining hall became increasingly more noisy as everyone wanted their voice to be heard. The Ultimate Pianist and Martial Artist tried to keep the peace, but no one really cared about what they had to say. After all, what could you say to convince these people that everything will be fine? I looked over at Oma. He was wearing his usual shit-eating grin as the group argued. In the midst of the verbal fight, Amami briefly left the dining hall and re-entered with a megaphone. Giving everyone who was still civil a countdown, we covered our ears.

 **" _H_** ** _EYYY!_ " **He shouted through the voice enhancer. Content with the brief moment of silence, Amami lowered the bullhorn. "Now, let's try to be more civil, or I'll be forced to use this again. Understand?"

"Crystal," Momota groaned as he rubbed his ears.

"Now, it's pointless to continue arguing because none of the nine of you have any solid evidence to present about your whereabouts," Amami stated with his arms folded. "It's a terrible idea to swallow, but that's just our situation. However, it doesn't matter."

"And why is that?" Hoshi grunted as he lifted his candy from his mouth.

"I'm almost certain that Kokichi's lying again," He answered while eyeing the boy. "Am I right?"

"What gave it away?" Oma grinned, unfazed by the accusation.

"Nothing, but the fact that you continuously lie for the sake of entertaining yourself," The Ultimate Mystery stated. Akamatsu and Fon let out a sigh of relief. For now, the only instigator was Oma. "You're an excellent liar, Kokichi."

"...You complimented him on his lies?" Shirogane sweatdropped.

"So that's thirty minutes of life I won't get back," Bovino rolled his eyes. "Okay, we know Kokichi's liar, but what are we going to do? The deadline is tomorrow."

"Should we really spend another day searching for the Cloud ring?" Chabashira nervously chuckled as she surveyed the reactions amongst our group. "It's like Rantaro said. The path will only open up once we light the seven rings, and we still have two ring bearers to discover. Do we really have enough time to worry about it?"

"Tenko has a point." Fon sighed heavily. "Our backs are against the wall, so we have no choice but go on the defensive. I suggest that we put the rings on the backburner until we survive the Doomsday motive."

"How are we suppose to survive a swarm of Monokumas?" Hoshi raised an eyebrow. "He really didn't give us much of a fighting chance."

"Then, I suggest that we capture the one controlling Monokuma before they can release all of those Monokumas," Bovino proposed.

"I do not believe I follow," K1-B0 tried to analyze the possible explanations.

"Think about it, the second Monokuma had to come from some hidden place when the first was destroyed. And it didn't come back automatically, so that means someone had to manually create Monokuma." Saihara added onto Bovino's theory. "Which means if we can figure out who the mastermind is or where Monokuma was created, then we can survive the motive... and least in theory."

"What do you mean in theory?" I frowned as I folded my arms across my chest.

"We do not know the extent of the mastermind's power. Therefore, at the moment, nothing can be certain." Shunguji chimed in. "However, I do believe Monokuma's threat shouldn't be taken lightly. The Exisals are at his disposal."

"Yeah, Monokuma still has three of those monsters in the yard." Momota sighed as he averted his eyes to the left. "But, that doesn't matter 'cuz we'll bring down that bastard! And that's a promise!"

"And how will you do that?" said myself as I rolled my eyes.

"Don't sweat the details! I'm gonna make sure no one dies tomorrow!" Momota proclaimed as he stood up from his chair. With a foot on his chair, he continued. "As the Luminary of the Stars and with all my strength, I'll do everything in my power to stop Monokuma!"

"It seems we all have some thinking to do," Tojo raised a finger to her lower lip.

"As individuals, I might add. I understand that we all desire to work together in order to survive, but I believe that we each should have a steady resolve before tomorrow. Think hard and long about what you're willing to fight for." Rantaro firmly stated before exiting the dining. "...I know I will."

"That's one way to make an exit,"

"But, Rantaro does have a point. We've been so focused on what's best for the group that we kinda forgot what each of wanted," Shirogane whimpered.

"But that's exactly what Monokuma wants us to do! To be selfish and think about ourselves!" Akamatsu argued tearfully.

"If you're claiming Monokuma's motives are that simple, then you're only seeing the bare basic." I sighed as I pushed my plate away. "Yes, the purpose of the first motive is based on us giving into our selfish desires, but the Doomdays motive isn't that black and white. It's possible that someone could murder for the sake of the group and leave. It's also possible that someone takes their own life for the sake of everyone else. To Monokuma, it's all the same as long as someone dies. But to some, this is a matter of important our beliefs. You continue preaching camaraderie. But, watch how far you're willing to go for others."

"And, that's my cue to step in," Fon stood from her seat. "Yes, Maki has a point. The motives are more complicated than Monokuma leads on. However, Kaede has a point. Believing murder or suicide can solve our problem is a mistake. We'll find another way. There's no need to take any extreme measures."

"Uggh, are we fucking done," Iruma groaned as she slumped against the table. "This genius has inventions to fucking build."

"Yeah Miu has another tall order," Bovino spun some of his hair around his finger. "Is there anything else to share before the two of us go?"

"Since when did you help Miu?" questioned Fon.

"It's better than doing nothing. Plus, I need the electricity in her lab; I used all of my stored lightning earlier."

"Y'all heard it here first! Limpo's one-stroke bastard!" Iruma exclaimed loudly.

"...And I'm leaving," Bovino shot Iruma an annoyed look before exiting.

At that moment, the room reached its usual low point. I glanced out the window and at the night sky as Hoshi spoke up. "It's getting late, and tomorrow will long day for sure. I suggest we go to sleep early today."

With a quick exchange between those who remained until the very end, the sixteen of us departed from the dining hall and went our separate ways. Fon stayed back to assist Tojo with the dishes. Saihara and Akamatsu disappeared around the same time. Iruma dragged K1-B0 to god knows where. I muttered my goodnight to everyone who spoke to me first and shut my door behind myself. Kicking off my shoes, I wrapped myself in my covered and allowed my body to ease itself into sleeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter was longer than I thought it would be. But hey, I managed to finish it. I also got the chance to map out all the murders in this story; I just need to focus on the executions. There are about 3 chapters left for this arc, and I'm quite proud of this arc so far. Who could've used Tsuna's Zero Point Breakthrough: First Edition? What do y'all think so?


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